The Last of Us - Forged In Hell
by IAmElvie
Summary: The Last of Us begins just prior to Sarah's birth. There are canon characters and my own. If you're a canonite, please don't read, because things aren't exactly the same as the game. My new chars can change the thoughts and feelings of some canon chars, so it's an AU.Explore bonds forged in hell. What lengths would you go to? Like all my stories it's MA only. I'm not an editor.
1. The Last of Us - Forged In Hell Ch1

The Last Of Us

Prologue

Along Comes Sarah

He smiled at the girl he'd met a couple of weeks ago at Jimmy's party. They'd both gotten wasted and ended up in bed together. He'd been seeing her ever since that night. She was a pretty blonde haired, blue eyed girl and with him being in football and her being a cheerleader it just seemed like it was the thing to do. "Hi, Becky," he said as he leaned against the locker. "Wanna come over to my place tonight? My parents are having a barbeque."

She took a step back, smiled up at him and batted her eyelashes. "I'm going out with Tina, Lisa and Rick tonight…I was hoping you'd want to come along."

He frowned. He knew she wasn't into the whole family thing. Her parents pretty much let her do whatever she a mind to do and family togetherness was not at the top of list of things to be done. "Nah, my parents are having some friends over and I have to keep Tommy company."

She pouted. "Tommy's eleven, ain't he? He's old enough to entertain himself. Come on, Joel," she said, hanging onto his arm. "It'll be fun." She enjoyed showing off her football star boyfriend. She gave him a shy smile and rolled from her heels to the balls of her feet. "We might even find some alone time later…"

A slow breath slipped from his lips. "I'll see if I can meet up with you when Tommy goes to bed. Where will you be?"

Her lips tightened. That wasn't exactly what she was hoping for. "Al's Burger Barn then we're going to see the nine o'clock showing of Pitch Black. I suppose you can meet us at the Alamo Drafthouse if'n you want."

He raked a hand through his dark hair. If he was smart, he'd go to bed early tonight because they had an away game in Houston tomorrow. But hr hadn't had alone time with Becky since the night they'd met. This time he'd bring protection. Some risks did not need to be taken. "Fine, I'll cut out a little early and meet you at the Drafthouse."

The warning bell for class rang. He kissed her forehead. "Catch ya later," he said and hurried off to class. He did not need another tardy. He had it all – everything he could want. Good grades, finally made it to quarterback on the team, college scouts were contacting him even though he was only a junior, he sang two nights a week at Teiner's, he had a loving and supportive family _and_ a pretty, new girlfriend. He was at the top of his game and he couldn't see how life could get any better…at least not until he could take his guitar on the road. Someday, he would be a famous country singer – he just wanted to get through college first.

The day flew by, as it so often did for him. He pulled his helmet out of one of the saddlebags and slipped his backpack in its place on his 1993 Honda CB750 Nighthawk motorcycle. He'd spent the last year fixing it up and it was the best personal investment he'd ever made. The only time he ever had to ask to borrow his mom's car was if the weather was bad.

His mom had hated the idea of him having a motorcycle, but he'd proven time and again that he was a safe driver. He eventually convinced her to let him take her for a ride. She still worried, he supposed she always would, but at least she was no longer believing that each time he walked out the door would be the last time she ever saw him alive. He never took chances on the Nighthawk. One accident – one injury and she'd never let him ride it again.

He was the first one to always arrive home and he enjoyed the time by himself. He grabbed a snack and headed up to the room he shared with his little brother. He was trying to talk his parents into using the den for a bedroom so that he and Tommy no longer had to share, but it was an uphill battle he doubted he'd win.

He was just finishing up his math homework when Tommy came in the room. "Hey, little brother, your turn," he said motioning to their desk as he rose.

Tommy stuck his tongue out at his brother. "You're no fun."

He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against their bunkbeds. "That's not fair, Tommy. You know I'll hear all hell from mom if your homework isn't done by the time she gets home."

Tommy sat down at the desk and made faces he knew Joel couldn't see.

"And stop making those faces!" Joel scolded.

Tommy grinned. He wasn't sure how his brother knew it but he almost always called him on it. "You sneaking out to see that Becky tonight?" he asked as he opened up his history book.

Joel grunted and then grinned. "I'm not _sneaking_. But, yes, when it's close to your bed time I'm going out with her. And she's not _that_ Becky. She's Becky."

Tommy rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I don't know what you see in her, big brother. She's pretty but she's a - "

"Tommy…" Joel warned.

He waved his hand at his brother. "You are so blind. You can't even see what's right in front of you. You should stay away from her, is all I'm saying. Date Ams. Now let me do this homework so you don't hear all hell." Becky was a bitch. She acted all sweet when Joel was looking but a real bitch when he wasn't. His brother just couldn't see her for what she really was.

"Yeah, Yeah…I'll go mow the back yard." Since they were going to have a barbeque, he thought his parents would appreciate his helping out. But date Amber? His brother had lost his mind. They'd been friends since they were toddlers. She lived next door and she was his closest friend, even if they didn't hang out in the same circles. She hung around with a much smarter crowd. He shook the thought away.

Once outside he pulled his shirt off and flung it over the porch railing. He was nearly half-way done with the yard when he caught sight of Amber picking up sticks too large for him to mow over and throwing them over the fence. He killed the mower and grinned at her. "You have a way of sneaking up on a guy," he teased. He couldn't help but notice the bikini she was wearing. It was obvious she'd been tanning.

"When I heard the mower, I wasn't sure if it was you or Tommy, but I thought I'd help out anyway. Besides, Rex was being an ass. He kept putting his cold, wet nose in places I didn't want it. Damned dog," she said with a grin. "He thinks all I'm good for is playing."

"What's wrong with playing?" he teased. He grabbed a fist full of grass from the grass-catcher and threw it at her.

She yelped and jumped back, the grass clinging to the sweat on her body. "Joel!" She looked down at the grass covering her. "Well, that's attractive. I look like a green possum."

"Best looking possum I've ever seen," he teased and grabbed another fistful of grass. A wicked grin danced on his lips as he began to stalk her.

Her big, brown eyes opened wide. "No…you wouldn't," she said as she slowly backed away, her eyes scanning for something to defend herself with. She grinned when she saw the hose and made a mad dash for it. She heard him coming on fast, grabbed the nozzle, turned and aimed it at him. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. She was damned well going to spray him even if he dropped the grass. He drew first blood, so to speak.

"So…a standoff," he mused. He opened his hand and the grass fluttered to the ground. "You win Ams." He sucked in a breath when a cold shock of water doused his chest. He launched himself at her, knocked the nozzle from her hand, grabbed her around the waist and they tumbled to the ground. They hadn't played like this since they were thirteen. As his weight sank between her thighs he realized they weren't thirteen anymore and he liked being just where he was. His heart slammed in his chest as he stared down at her. She was far prettier than she had a right to be. She was his friend and right now he was feeling more than friendly towards her. His gaze slid to her full, parted lips. "You don't play fair," he murmured.

She smiled, trying not to be distracted by his looks. She'd had a crush on him since she was five years old, but he never saw her that way and she'd come to accept that. Her hand rose up and her thumb slowly brushed a piece of grass from his cheek. "When have I ever played fair?" she asked in a throaty voice. His nearness was doing all sorts of funny things to her.

"Never," he admitted. Not that she was a malicious cheat; her cheats were done in teasing. All of his life she'd been there for him. At his every game, at his every birthday, every milestone she'd been there to cheer him on. She was a constant he could always depend on and yet he'd never considered what was going through his mind right now. He'd never considered kissing her. Was his brother right? Had he been blind? He could feel the tight peaks of her breasts against his chest, he could feel the hard beat of her heart and he knew he was going to kiss her if she didn't stop him. He stopped a hair's breath from her lips. "Ams…stop me…" he breathed against her lips. But her arms looped around his neck and her fingers sank into his hair. He captured her lips with a groan of defeat.

A dog's bark brought him back to reality and he broke the kiss to rest his forehead against her for a brief moment. They were in full view of any neighbors looking out a second floor window – including her parents. "Ams…"

She knew he had to be regretting kissing her, but she didn't regret a moment. She'd give anything for one night with him. Just one. That would be enough. But not when he had a girlfriend. "It's okay, Joe-Joe. Please, don't apologize. I've had a crush on you since I was a little girl, so I don't regret the kiss…the timing, perhaps, but not the kiss. Just – we'll forget it ever happened. Nothing has to change. Let's just finish the yard." She didn't even realize she was still holding him to her.

She'd had a crush on him since she was little? "Why didn't you tell me?"

She felt the heat rise in her cheeks. "You never saw me like that, Joe-Joe. Your friendship meant more to me than unrequited feelings. It always will. I accepted things a long time ago. We're good. We always will be."

He shook his head. "I've always been dense when it comes to reading people like that." He ran his fingertips through her silky, golden brown hair. "You should have told me, Ams. It would have opened my eyes to what was right in front of me." He grazed his lips against hers. "I don't want to forget the kiss – I want more of them," he admitted.

She released his neck and pushed against his chest. When he sat up she did too. "No, Joe-Joe. Once was one thing, but you're seeing someone. Like I said, the timing is wrong." She stood up and held out her hand to help him to his feet. When he took her hand she yelped when she was pulled back down on him. She straddled him and stilled when she felt something thick and hard beneath her sensitive flesh. "Now who's not playing fair?"

"I never said I was a gentleman," he pointed out.

"Ya are too. I've never known you not to be one," She ground herself against him and grinned when he gasped.

He raised his knees to trap her between his chest and his legs before her grinding led him to embarrass himself. "You're killing me, Ams."

She was killing herself too. "Yeah, but you deserve it for putting me here," she reminded him.

She had a valid point. He tucked his feet under him and rose to a stand, her legs slid down his until they touched the ground. "Come on, we need to wash this grass off and I need to finish the yard." He took her hand and walked her to the nozzle. "Grin and bear it, Ams."

Her body shuddered when the cold water hit her skin. Her nipples tightened so hard they looked painful and goose bumps covered her. "Turn around," he said hoarsely. How had he not noticed how enticing she was? The bikini bottom clung to her like a second skin and he swallowed hard. "My turn," he said as he held out the nozzle to her. He could have washed himself off, but he owed her the chance to freeze his balls. There was no doubt he deserved it. By the time she was done his knee length shorts were soaked and it had cooled his ardor, which he was thankful for. When she released the hose he pulled her against him and kissed her soundly.

She flattened her palms against his chest. "You seem to have forgotten I was limiting you to one kiss."

One corner of his mouth curled up into a half grin. "And you seem to have forgotten I said I wanted more."

"Joel…" she said quietly and took a step back. "I'm not the type of girl who…"

He never thought she was. "I know that, Amber. I'll talk to Becky later tonight when I see her. It's you I want to be with."

She frowned. "I feel like a homewrecker."

He snorted and nearly choked. "What? I've only been dating her a couple of weeks; she won't introduce me to her family, she doesn't like coming to my place, my brother can't stand her and I can't stand her friends. The only thing we have in common is football – and I'm not sure she even likes the game, to be frank."

Amber raised her hand to her lips in shock. "Oh, the blaspheme."

He grinned. "Then you understand."

"Tom-Tom doesn't like her?" she asked in surprise. "He likes everyone."

"Apparently not," he said drolly. "Are you and your parents coming to the barbeque?"

"Have we ever missed one?" she teased. "Mama and I have already made some food to bring over. Papa's bringing the horseshoe toss and I think Twister."

He rubbed his hands together. "Mama Nell's famous peach cobbler?"

"Yes," she smiled. "Mama's bringing her peach cobbler. Now," she turned him around and swatted his butt, "finish your mowing." When the mower started up she returned to picking up toys and branches from the yard.

When they were done Joel brought out two lemonades and sat down next to her on the swing, swinging it slowly. He settled his arm along the back and she snuggled into his side like she used to do. "I miss times like this," he said quietly and dropped his arm around her.

"I do too," she admitted softly. "You were always on the go. Whenever I came over to spend time with you, you were gone. So I spent time with your mom or Tom-Tom. I even went with Papa Quinn to find Mama B an anniversary gift this year, because that pan he got her last year had not been appreciated," she said with a giggle.

"I remember. I thought mama was going to hit him over the head with it." They'd never told him that Ams had helped this year. He had been drifting away from her and he'd never realized it. Despite that, she was still always there for him when he needed to talk about something. She was still always at his games. She was still cheering him on. She was still there for his family. He'd taken her for granted. "I'm sorry, Ams. I was stretching my wings and left you behind. I hadn't even realized it." He shook his head. "You never gave up on me. You were still always there for me."

Her hand lifted to his chest. "You are my best friend, Joe-Joe – my family. I'll always be there for you, no matter how far apart we are."

He enjoyed the feel of her fingers playing over his skin. He wasn't _in_ love with Amber, but he loved her. He wanted her. He felt safe with her and there was no one closer to him than she was. She was the only person he had ever opened himself up to. He knew they could have a beautiful life together someday if he didn't fuck it up. And now that he realized that, he had no intension of fucking it up. "I wish my eyes had been opened sooner." He raised her palm to his lips, settled it back against his chest and raised her chin to kiss her. When she backed away his lips thinned. He understood her feelings, but he also wanted the right to kiss her. "I'm not going to wait. I want the right to kiss my girl."

Her heart flipped over in her chest. "Your girl?" she asked as she drew a fingernail across his nipple. She smiled when he shuddered. "Does it go both ways, Joel? Does that make you my guy?" she teased.

He rose from the swing and held his hand out to her. When she took it he pulled her into is arms, molding her body to his. With one arm locked around her waist he brushed her drying hair back from her face. "As sure as I'm looking at you, I'm your man." He kissed her forehead, because he knew she wouldn't object to that. He pulled his shirt down over his head and led her to the garage. He backed his bike out of the garage, sat down on the seat and motioned her over. "I'll be back soon and when I get back I'm going to kiss you until we are both breathless."

She grinned and cupped his cheeks. "Promises, promises," she said playfully. It was almost too much to believe that he'd finally noticed her. It was surreal and she feared she would wake up and none of it would be real.

He captured the back of her head so she couldn't back away and his mouth captured hers. He kept his tongue behind his lips in respect for her wishes. "I'll be back soon." He reached back to pull his helmet out of the saddle bag and slipped it over his head.

"I'll stay with Tom-Tom."

He smiled. He could always count on her, even without asking. "Thanks, Ams. You can grab a shirt out of my dresser to cover up." He started his bike, winked at her and took off towards Becky's house. He knew where she lived, but he'd never been inside. When he arrived he knocked on the door and an older woman answered. "Good afternoon, ma'am. I'm looking for Becky."

Celine looked him over and then looked at his bike with a frown. "I didn't know she had any friends like you. Who are you?"

Joel quirked a brow. Friends like him? "I'm Joel Miller, ma'am. I go to Anderson High School with Becky."

She pursed her lips. "Oh. I might have heard of that name – you're on the football team, I think. Well, she's out with her boyfriend. They went to the mall."

Joel just blinked. "Her boyfriend, ma'am?"

She folded her arms over her chest. "I'm surprised you don't know - he's on your team. She's dating that nice quarterback boy, Ian Livingston. They had lunch here and then headed out to the mall. I'll tell her you stopped by," she said as she closed the door in his face and shuddered. As if he stood a chance with her daughter.

"I'll be damned," he muttered. She never once wanted to bring him back to meet her family, but in the matter of a few hours she'd hooked up with Ian and brought him back to meet her parents. He chuckled. Ian had been demoted to second string quarterback when Joel stepped into the lead position. So she jumped from talent to an old money name. No doubt her parents were thrilled. Good luck with that, Becky. He saluted the door and hopped back on his bike, making sure to peel out with a lot of noise.

He headed for the mall. Regardless what her mom thought she knew he intended to make sure what she thought was correct. Once he arrived he parked the bike, locked his wheel, locked his helmet in the saddlebag and headed in.

It took about thirty minutes to locate them. And damned if he didn't catch them kissing in the food court. "Hello Becky…Ian." When he saw the pair of them jump apart he laughed. "So nice to see you two so comfortable together – it makes dumping Becky a whole lot easier. Catch ya on the field," he said with a grin and left. That went a lot better than he'd originally thought when he knew he had to call things off with her. Thank you very much, Becky and Ian.

He went straight home to find his mother's car in the garage. He rolled his bike in next to it and dropped his helmet in the saddlebag. He lowered the garage door and ran around to the front door. He was going to help his dad make a door that led directly into the house so they could put up the electric garage door that his dad purchased.

His mom was sitting at the kitchen table nursing a glass of wine and reading a book. "Hi, mama," he said and gave her a hug. "Where's Ams?"

Bethanne smiled at her son. "She's upstairs with Tommy. Where have you been?" she asked curiously.

He raked a hand through his short, brown hair. "I had to go correct a mistake I made."

She took his hand. "Mistake?"

He squeezed her hand. "It's Becky, mama. I never should have started dating her. It's over between us."

She chuckled. "You sure know how to bring your mother good news. I'm glad you dumped her on her ass. She was no good for you."

Was he the only one who hadn't seen Becky for who she was? "I was feeling a bit guilty. I don't much care for hurting anyone, but she done made it easy for me. Caught her at the mall kissing Ian Livingston. Apparently, her mom adores him. Met her mom today, when I went looking for her. I can see where Becky gets her charm," he said sarcastically.

She patted his hand. "You are well rid of her, son."

He chuckled and shook his head. "You have never liked _any_ of my girlfriends."

"I'll always support your decisions, Joel, but you were dating the wrong girls. There's only one girl I want to see you with and she's standing right behind you," Bethanne said with a motion of her hand, though she'd given up hope a long time ago.

Amber had heard his motorcycle and had come down. She hadn't meant to overhear their conversation, but she had and her cheeks were warm with embarrassment. She honestly wasn't sure he'd be able to go through with it, especially if Becky started on him with her crocodile tears. But she was glad he caught Becky with that idiot Ian. If any two people deserved each other it was them, at least from the talk she'd heard about him, and that left Joel free to be with her…if that is still what he wanted. He might have sorted things out differently in his mind now that he was free and if he did, she'd accept that. At least she got to kiss him, which was far more than she ever thought would happen.

He spun around and pulled her up against him. He smiled at her yelp and claimed her lips in the kiss he'd promised her. With his back to his mother he felt comfortable letting his hands explore her back. One hand drifted lower to grip her ass and rock her against his growing arousal.

"Oh, wow!" Tommy snickered. "I hope that means you are done with that Becky bitch."

Bethanne bit her cheek to keep from laughing. "Tommy Quinn Miller! Mind yourself."

Tommy blanched. He hadn't seen his mother sitting there. "Yes, ma'am."

She was so tickled to see her son kissing Amber. She'd waited years for him to get his head out of his ass and wake up. "I think it's time for that man-cave to become a bedroom. So come on you three and help me get everything you don't want, Joel, upstairs to my bedroom."

Joel blinked in surprise. He'd wanted his own room for years. And all it took was to kiss Amber in front of her. Damned if he shouldn't have done that a long time ago. Between the four of them they moved everything but one desk up stairs, removed the top bunkbed and set it up downstairs along with his dresser. There were wire shelves on the walls that would allow him to hang up his clothing. He ran upstairs grabbed his guitar and backpack. Amber grabbed a few other items that were his and they headed back downstairs. He'd be farther away from the bathroom now, but he could leave the house through the backyard and wouldn't have to disturb anyone if he came home late.

His new bedroom was rectangular rather than square, but it was larger than the one he'd shared with his brother. He no longer had a TV, Playstation or computer, but he finally had his own room.

Bethanne leaned against the door and looked over his new room. "I've been wanting to do this for some time. Your father will get over it. His new man-cave can be our bedroom, since I'm usually only there to sleep. When Amber slipped past her she pulled the girl into her arms for a hug. "You two have made me so happy."

She hugged the precious woman back. "No one is more surprised than me, Mama B. If I'd have known a bikini grass fight was all it would take I'd have done it ages ago," she teased.

Bethanne pulled back. "You know, you could have danced naked in the moonlight… I'm sure that would have woken him up," she said with a grin.

"I never thought of that. Silly me."

Joel cleared his throat. "I'm right here," he pointed out the obvious. "And yes, that would have gotten my attention. But – uh…if you're going to dance naked in the moonlight, do it in my room. We can slide the curtain open and let the moonlight come through the double glass doors."

"And what's wrong with out there with the grass between my toes?" she asked innocently.

Bethanne laughed. "Too many second story windows, I'd imagine. Not much into sharing, son?"

"Damned straight," he grumbled.

She turned to leave them alone and stopped. "Oh – grab a screwdriver and swap out this door knob with the one on my bathroom door. Your father and I certainly don't need to lock each other out of the bathroom. And I'm sure you'll appreciate the privacy.

By the time he changed the locks out they had only about a half an hour before the early birds started showing up. They collapsed on his twin bed. "It feels good to finally have my own room."

-BREAK TWO-

She'd never had to share a room but could certainly understand the frustration of having to do so. "I can imagine it would be frustrating. Sit up." When he did she pulled his shirt off and threw it onto the floor. "Much better," she said as she pulled off the shirt she'd borrowed from him. Her hands slid up his broad chest to hook around his neck. She fell back against the bed and pulled him down with her. "Kiss me, Joe-Joe." And he did.

His hand slid slowly along her side until his thumb brushed the underside of her breast. When she didn't stop him he cupped her breast and rolled her nipple through the bikini top. Her moan encouraged him and his hand slipped around to slowly pull the ties that held her top on. He tossed it onto the floor with the growing pile of discarded clothing. His thumb drew across the tight bud. "You are so beautiful," he murmured and then lowered his head to tease and suckle the dusky tip that beckoned him.

Her hands slid into his thick hair and she held him to her breast. She'd wanted him for too long and her deepest fear was that he would change his mind about her and only want to be friends. If that happened, it would hurt, but she would accept that. However, she wanted to make love to him at least once before that happened. Her hand skimmed down the flat of his belly. His muscles tightened beneath her palm.

When her hand reached the band of his shorts he slid down her body and settled between her thighs as his lips and tongue trailed down over her ribcage. He wanted to try something he'd never done before. He felt secure trying it with her because he knew she wouldn't make fun of him or tell the whole school if he fucked it up. His tongue grazed along the band of her bikini as his fingers slowly untied the bows that held it up.

His hands skimmed down her thighs to spread them wider and then he pulled the material down to reveal what was hidden beneath. He groaned at the sight of her silky, glistening, folds. There was no denying she wanted him, she was already swelling for him. He nipped her inner thigh gently and his tongue flicked along the far edges of her folds as much to tease her as to build confidence. He smiled when her body trembled with anticipation. He brushed his thumbs over the swollen nub as he separated her damp folds and flicked the bundle of nerves with his tongue. Her soft cry encouraged him and he tried different motions with his tongue, flicking, circling, grinding, to find out what she liked best.

She had only been with one other guy, though they had not gotten this far. He'd used his fingers to make her come, so she couldn't have imagined the pleasure a tongue could give her. Somehow it just seemed right that Joe-Joe was the one giving her the greatest pleasure she'd ever felt. Her hands tightened on his blanket when she felt the tension build inside her. "Oh, god…there…don't stop…I'm so close…" she murmured in a voice she barely recognized. She felt his hands grip her tighter as his tongue moved faster against her. "Joel…" she breathed out his name as her hips rose and her body tightened.

For a moment it seemed like time stood still for him and then he heard a muffled cry and her hips rocked against him when she found her release. He felt a sense of pride that he'd made her come for him and he was glad he'd shared this first with her. When her hips shied away from him he kissed a path back up her body, gave her breasts the attention they deserved before moving on to feast on her lips with a hunger he hadn't felt before.

When her hand skimmed down his belly this time he sucked in a breath and groaned when her fingers slipped beneath the band of his shorts to stroke him. "Ams…" he softly cried out as his hips thrust against her.

"Make love to me, Joe-Joe," she whispered as she tugged his shorts down his hips.

He used a hand to lower them further and kicked them off not wanting to break body contact with her. "Are you sure?" he asked softly.

Her legs wrapped around his waist and she rocked against him. "Yes, Joel…god, yes." She'd waited so long to have him in her arms. She needed to feel him inside her…she needed to be one with him.

He slid into her silky heat with a growl of pleasure. She rocked beneath him meeting each of his thrusts with a driving need that matched his own. He knew he had to be careful not to get lost in the pleasure. He'd left his condoms in the bike and needed to pull out before he came. He tried to focus on that, but they weren't lying when they said if you care about someone the pleasure is more intense and his control was slipping. His body reacted to her breathy moans and the bite of her nails by going into overdrive. He felt himself thicken and his testicles tighten and he knew he was on the edge. "Ams…let me go so I can pull out."

She tightened her legs around him and rode him harder. "Don't stop Joe-Joe…don't stop…don't stop…I'm almost…"

Her body stiffened beneath him and he felt her muscles clamp down on him taking the last thread of his control. He claimed her lips to muffle their cries as he catapulted over the edge with her. With each thrust he released more of himself into her until he had nothing left to give.

He dropped his forehead to hers, enjoying the feel of her muscles squeezing him with the aftershocks of her release. When their heartbeats and breathing began to slow he rolled them onto their sides. "You should have danced naked in the moonlight a long time ago, Ams."

She laughed softly and stroked his cheek. "I wish I had." Her brows drew together in concern when his expression grew serious.

"Ams…if anything happens...I'll take care of you."

It took a moment to realize what he was talking about. She settled a finger against his lips. "Joe-Joe I would never let you sacrifice yourself out of some outdated sense of duty."

He wanted to be offended by what she said, but he knew she said it because she cared. He brushed his lips against hers. "I would hardly call marriage to you a sacrifice, obligation or duty. Those words are cold and unfeeling. I care about you, Amber. Deeply. You're family – a part of me. I would marry you because I cared – not because of duty."

She wiped her eyes before the tears could fall. She knew he wanted a family some day and it was the one thing she couldn't give him. And it was also why she knew their relationship would eventually end. She would never want to take having a family away from him. But while she did have him, she would put a lifetime's worth of love into whatever time they did have together. "Joel…I – you don't have to worry about me getting pregnant. Once we get dressed I'll tell you why." She didn't think she could tell him while she was naked in his arms.

For some reason the thought of her getting pregnant didn't bother him like it should have. He pushed that thought away and rolled over to gather their clothing. He handed over her bikini and his shirt that she was wearing and then slipped into his shorts and shirt. Now that he'd seen her naked he didn't want her to get dressed, but he could hear the doorbell and knew company was arriving.

When he sat down next to her on the bed she pulled her legs up and crossed them. "Something happened when I was little. It was the one thing I never told you about. I – I was ashamed and I didn't want you to see me differently."

He felt his heart tighten, hurt to know that he'd done something that made her think she couldn't talk to him. "Ams – that's silly, you can always tell me anything. Did I do something to make you think I wouldn't be there for you?"

She blinked, confused as to why he thought that. "What? No." She shook her head. "It was my hang-up…my fear. It was nothing you did. Do you remember when I was five years old and I – I didn't see you for a few weeks?" She bit her lip and looked away. This was going to be more difficult than she thought. She didn't want to hurt him and she knew she was going to.

She was a year older than him and he had only been four at the time. He was pretty sure he only remembered it because of how worried he'd been for her. "Yes. Mama Nell told me you were sick. I remembered being worried as hell about you, Ams."

She took his hand and laced her fingers through his. She needed the connection to get the words out. "I was outside in my yard playing – waiting for you to get home. A young man approached me and asked if I wanted to see his poodle do circus tricks. I said I would and asked if he could bring her over so my mom and I could watch. He wanted me to come with him, but I told him I wasn't allowed to leave my yard. He grabbed me and slapped his hand over my mouth so I couldn't scream." She felt his hand tighten on hers and knew he understood what was about to happen. Tears slipped silently down her cheeks. They weren't tears for her; she'd dealt with what happened a long time ago and put it behind her. The tears were for him because she knew his pain would be new and raw.

"He carried me back through the woods trying to calm me, telling me how much I would love seeing his poodle do tricks, how he had a house back there and Princess was waiting to see me. I was in shock and terrified. There were always stories of children being taken – their bodies found days or weeks later and I didn't want to die without saying goodbye to you and my parents."

His heart was thundering in his chest. He knew what she was going to tell him and he couldn't bear it. To know that something so horrific could have happened to her was tearing his heart to shreds. He pulled her onto his lap and held her. He felt the warmth of tears roll down his cheeks and ignored them. His heart was raw with anguish for her and there was nothing he could do.

"I knew there were no houses back there. I'd hiked there before with my parents. By the time he released my mouth we were too far away for screams to be heard and I was too scared of making him mad to even bother trying. I thought – I hoped– if I did whatever he wanted he wouldn't kill me. That I would get to go home." Her throat tightened and she forced herself to swallow. "When we came to a clearing and he put me down I just laid there – too terrified to move, even when he lifted my dress and tore my panties off. He kept apologizing and trying to sooth me with his voice, but I could no longer hear him clearly. I was numb until the pain overwhelmed me. I cried and begged him to stop hurting me, but he didn't. He just cried and apologized and told me how beautiful I was. I didn't feel very beautiful. When he finally stopped hurting me he carried me to the edge of the woods near my home and left me there. The pain was raw and deep and I could feel the warm blood running down my legs. It hurt too much to walk so I just curled up into a ball. I don't know how long I laid there, but the sun was going down. I heard people calling my name, but I don't think they heard me. It was Henry that found me. He told my mom to follow and took me straight to his car. I curled up on the front floor board because it hurt too much to sit."

All he could do was hold her and rock as she relived a nightmare. He remembered seeing cop cars and people from the neighborhood out with flashlights. His mom had told him a little kid got lost and his father was joining the search party. They'd never told him who the kid had been.

"Henry carried me into the hospital. He laid me down on a bed and someone put a mask over my face…then everything went fuzzy. I didn't find out what happened until later. He had torn me up pretty badly and I'd lost too much blood. Your mom was O negative so she and my parents gave blood for me. I was sick at home for awhile because an infection had set in. When I finally got to see you again I remember hugging you with a death grip, but you didn't complain." She cleared her throat and swallowed hard, but couldn't look at him. "Do – do you think less of me for letting him hurt me? For not fighting him?" she asked in a voice that was so quiet she wasn't even sure he'd heard.

"Oh, god, Ams – No! Don't ever think that. You were a scared little girl and if you'd fought him he might have lost his temper – beaten you…or worse." He also knew that if he ever laid hands on the man he'd kill him without a thought. He wanted to shove a rusty pipe so far up the man's ass that it came out his mouth…or the top of his head, he wasn't picky. "Did they find him?" he asked, his voice harder than he intended.

She frowned. "You mean find him again? He was an escaped pedophile. They found him a week later after he'd raped a ten year old girl named Lisa."

"Is he still locked away?" he asked quietly.

She shook her head. "I don't know. I think he got fourteen years, but I never checked to see if he was paroled. I never wanted to know anything about him. If I could forget his face I would," she admitted. "Henry testified at his trial on how he found me, Lisa testified and one of the doctors testified to the damage and the DNA they found, but I refused to go to court. I didn't want to see his face again or hear his polite apologies or see his tears of sorrow. What he did was unforgivable and he knew it – knew it even as he did it."

He intended to find out whom the man was and if he was still behind bars. "I'm sorry you had to relive that and that you felt that pain again, but I'm glad you finally told me. I will always be here for you, Ams. There is nothing you can't tell me."

She stroked his cheek. "The tears weren't for me, Joel – they were for you. I was crying from your pain. I knew hearing it was hurting you and I couldn't bear it."

She had stunned him again. His pain. After everything she'd gone through she was crying for his pain. She had to be one of the most giving and unselfish people he'd ever met. He blinked as a realization sank in. She had told him he didn't have to worry about her getting pregnant and now he knew why. That man had damaged her too badly to conceive – or at least the resulting infection had. But that changed nothing. He still wanted to be with her. "You are a beautiful woman inside and out, Amber Nicole Hanson, and I'm a lucky man to have you."

She shook her head. "Joel," she said as she gripped his chin. "One day you will want to marry and have a family. When you do, I'll back away peacefully. I don't want to lose you as a friend and I don't want to get in the way of your happiness."

He pulled away from her grip. "Shut the hell up, Amber. I tell you how lucky I am to have you and you are already pushing me out the door. It ain't like that. It doesn't have to be. Children are nice, but they don't define happiness. There's adoption or we can both finish college and you can join me on my tours. My name's going to be in lights one of these days, Ams," he teased. "Joel Ethan Miller, country legend," he said with a wave of his hand. "So I don't want to hear any of that kind of talk come out of your mouth again, you understand?"

She wasn't going to hold him to that. He was only sixteen and could change his mind when he got a little older. So she had to keep herself prepared for that. "I understand, Joe-Joe. And I haven't missed a single one of your games – just try to keep me from your tours."

He smiled and brushed his lips against hers. "I wouldn't dream of it." He twirled his high school ring around is finger. "Ams? Will you be my girl?"

She smiled and kissed the tip of his nose. "I've always been your girl, Joe-Joe. Everyone but you could see that," she teased.

His lips curled up in a somber, lopsided grin. "I regret that, Ams…I surely do." He slid his ring off his finger and over the knuckle of her thumb. He smiled at the sight of her wearing his ring and then sighed when there was a knock on his door. He moved her off his lap to unlock the door; his father was standing there with a grin on his face.

Quinn smiled and gave his son a brief hug. "Glad you finally got your head out of your ass, son. Makes it a lot easier to see where you're going." He smiled at Amber. "Hi, Ams." He handed his son a small bundle. "Nellie brought over a change of clothing for Ams. And thanks for mowing the back yard. See ya soon."

Once she was dressed they headed outside to join the others. Their moms were in the swing with glasses of wine. Two other women sat in chairs facing the swing. He hugged his mother and Mama Nell. "Good evening, Mrs. Duke, Mrs. Baker." He took Amber's hand and led her down the porch stairs.

"He's such a good looking boy – they make a lovely couple," Mrs. Baker said behind her cupped mouth.

Joel felt his cheeks warm since he'd still been close enough to hear her. The men were playing horseshoes and watching the bbq, so they joined his little brother in tossing the football. While Roscoe, the Dukes' black and tan coonhound dashed around them to pick up the ball with any missed pass.

The Baker's son, Jimmy, showed up a couple of hours later after he got off work. He'd graduated high school last year and was taking a few courses at the community college. By the time they'd eaten dinner the mosquitoes descended and they moved indoors. The dining chairs were pulled into the living room to accommodate everyone. The four kids sat in front of the tv and challenged each other on the Playstation, which had been moved downstairs so both of the boys could play it, until their parents decided to watch a movie. So they went upstairs to Tommy's room to watch a movie of their choosing. Amber chose the Princess Bride. After a few good-natured groans from the boys they popped in the VHS tape.

Joel had kept Amber close and kissed her every chance he got, not only because he wanted to, but because he wanted Jimmy to have no doubts where things stood.

"Ugh, they're kissing again," Tommy groaned.

Jimmy laughed and ruffled Tommy's hair. "You'll understand someday, squirt." He'd been interested in Amber, even took her out a couple of times, until he realized a couple years back that she was head over arse in love with an oblivious Joel. Even if she hadn't been in love with Joel, he knew he couldn't handle how close she was to him, so he'd backed off.

Everyone finally left by eleven. Joel showered and fell into bed. He had a big game tomorrow in Houston, the last game of the season before summer vacation. A part of him hoped Ams would knock on his double doors, but he was out like a light a moment later.

He woke up later than he'd intended to, he'd forgotten to bring down the alarm clock from Tommy's room. Breakfast was hurried and light and he hopped his bike to head for the school for a morning meet up with the team.

Today, he wasn't going to ride the bus to Houston. Instead, he and Ams would take his bike. He wanted to take her to dinner in Houston before returning home. He was just about to leave when a call came for him. Well fuck. He hung up with a sigh. Goddamn it, Reg.

When he arrived at school he headed to the locker room for the meeting with the team. He smirked at Ian and then gave the coach his undivided attention. He held up a hand to stop the coach when he mentioned a play he disagreed with. "We cannot rely too heavily on that play, it's is going to fail, sir." He knew why the coach wanted to rely on a running game, because Houston was known for catching passes, but that simply wasn't going to work today.

Ian snickered and elbowed Evan that was standing next to him. It didn't even faze him when Evan waved him off. If Joel pissed off the coach, maybe the coach would bench him.

Randy lifted the cap on his head and resettled it. "Quarterback's not good enough, Joel? Do you want to coach as well?" He ignored Ian's laugh.

Joel shook his head. "No, sir. But we have to focus on passing the ball. We are down Ray and are relying on a second string running back." Joel looked at Reggie pointedly. He'd gotten a call earlier and he knew Reg had been hitting the booze pretty hard last night. "Sorry, Reg, no disrespect intended." He turned back to the coach. "I can run the ball if need be, but our primary focus should be on defending the wide receivers, Coach."

Randy frowned. "I know my boys, Joel, and Reg is more than ready to step up."

"You're overstepping yourself, Joel," Ian sneered. He rubbed his side and frowned when Evan elbowed him hard.

Joel shook his head and glanced at Reg who solemnly nodded at him. He wanted to keep last night out of it, but the coach was pushing him. "No sir, he's not. He had a hard night last night. He's best suited focusing on blocking."

Randy threw his hat at Reg. "Goddamn it, Reg! You know what this game means to us! Fucking Houston nails passes! " He raked a hand through his dark hair. "Fine," he said glaring at Reg. "But you boys," he said pointing his fingers at each of them, "better make damn sure their cornerbacks go home crying for mommy. Dismissed. Pack your shit and get on the bus."

Joel bagged his gear and tossed into the bus's storage.

When Ian saw him walk away from the bus he shook his head. "What's the matter, Joel? Too full of yourself to ride the bus with the rest of us?"

Joel stopped and turned around. "Not for a moment. I'm just taking my girl out to dinner before we head back."

"I seem to recall stealing your girl right out from under you," Ian sneered.

Joel laughed. "Becky was never my girl. Amber, however, _is_ my girl and she'd never look twice at you."

Amber…ah…the brainiac that graduated high school in the tenth grade and went on to college. "It would seem geeks are more your thing, no wonder Becky fell for me."

Joel just smiled and shook his head. Ian wasn't even worth the effort to pound into the dirt. He saluted the idiot with two fingers. "See ya at the game, Ian." He hopped on his bike, slipped his helmet on and peeled out.

He was in good spirits when he arrived home to find Amber waiting for him in the drive. She was in tight jeans with a gold trimmed blue shirt with a large gold number twelve on it that clung to her breasts. She was wearing his number and she took his breath away. Sweet hell, he must have been blind before. He flipped up his visor, kissed her and slipped his passenger helmet over her head. They waved to their parents and Tommy who were taking his mom's car to the game and headed out.

The ride was long, but with her pressed to his back and her arms around him it was enjoyable. He pulled into the stadium and parked next to where the busses would soon be parked. He dropped their helmets into the saddlebags, got up, turned around and sat down on the seat facing her. She hooked her thighs over the top of his. "I've only got a week off before I start apprenticing under my dad for the summer. He wants me to have something to fall back on if football and music don't pan out."

"I get that, Papa Q's just looking out for you. There's – uh…something I need to show you, Joe-Joe." She pulled a folded piece of paper from her back pocket and handed it to him.

He unfolded it and read it over. His hand holding the letter dropped to his thigh. "You've been invited to intern at the CDC in Houston in a couple of months," he said trying to force enthusiasm. "I'm proud of you, Ams. This is great news."

She could tell it was anything but great news. "I – I don't know if I will take them up on it, Joel. I'm going to see what other offers I get. Maybe I'll even take some time off before I intern. I mean, you have another year of school before you head off to college. I can always take some more classes to bide my time. I just – I wanted you to know." She took the paper from his hand, folded it back up and shoved it in her back pocket. "Right now, all I want to do is be your girl, spend every moment I can with you and make love to you until we are both too tired to move."

A slow smile spread over his lips. "Promises, promises…" he teased as he gripped her ass and pulled her up his thighs so she straddled his hips. He kissed her until he heard the busses pull up. One bus held their band and the second the players and cheerleaders. He was helping her off the bike when Ian walked over.

"Well, if it isn't Joel and his b-" He was going to say brainiac until he got a good look at her after she'd gotten off the bike. It took a moment to realize his mouth was gaping open like a fish. He had no idea that a geek could be so sexy.

"His Amber? Why, yes…I am," she said as she slipped her arm through Joel's. A pouty blonde hurried over and took Ian's arm.

She eyed the brunette with distaste and then eyed Joel. "Come on, Ian. We have better things to do."

Ian frowned. "Don't be rude, Becky. I was just meeting Joel's friend Amber."

"Joel's _girl_ friend, Amber," Amber corrected with a polite smile. She looked up at Joel. "I'm going to go grab a seat next to the team's benches before too many people show up." She rose onto her toes and gave him a brief kiss, but his arm clamped around her and he kissed her soundly before letting her go. She smirked and winked at Becky and Ian as she passed by them. She didn't see Ian's head swivel around to watch her walk away.

Joel laughed as he walked towards the bus. "Dream on, Ian." He slapped Ian on the shoulder, harder than he knew he should have, as he stepped around him.

"Ian Blaine Livingston!" How dare he stare at that little hussy's ass. She jerked his arm to get him moving towards the bus.

-BREAK THREE-

The game had been grueling and that was putting it mildly. The Trojans were able to work together efficiently, but no matter what they did, it seemed they would always be trailing three points behind. They were out of time. Joel released the ball and held his breath. They were 68 yards from the end zone. So he did the only thing he could when the clock had run down. He threw a Hail Mary pass and hoped like hell for the best. Knowing this was do or die he raced down the field, barreling through anyone that got his way, determined to catch his own damned ball if need be. He didn't think that was at all likely, he was far from the fastest man on the team; he had too much muscle mass. But he was a powerhouse and with enough drive he could knock even the fattest brick wall to his ass.

He was fourteen yards from the end zone when he saw Rodgers leap for the ball and swiveled to the left, plowing into the guy a moment before he could knock the ball from its trajectory. He tumbled to the ground hard, pinning Rogers beneath him. He slapped the black guy's helmet with a grin, scrambled up and took off, but he knew there was nothing he could do now but hope his team pulled through.

He watched Shelby launch himself sideways to catch the pass, but he wasn't going to make it. Stevens was nearly on him. In a blink, Reg broke free of the pack to knock Stevens to the ground and the ball landed firmly in the cradle of Shelby's arms for the winning touchdown. He nearly dropped to his knees in shock, but forced himself to keep going. He and Ryan hoisted Shelby up onto their shoulders and he held the ball high. The roar of the crowd put smiles on their faces.

Mike Rodgers approached him, slapped him on the back and bent his elbow to hold his hand up. He bent his left arm up for a solid hand clasp. They might have been on opposite sides today, but Mike would always be his friend.

"I'm glad it was you, Joel." Mike said with a grin. If anyone else had knocked him down at such a pivotal time, he'd have been pissed, but he couldn't be pissed at Joel. In fact, he'd been stunned when his friend tackled him. "Thought you were the quarterback," he teased.

"I'm whatever I need to be," Joel said with a grin. He felt Evan bump his shoulder and he allowed him to take over Shelby's support. With his shoulder free he gave Mike a quick hug, pulled off his helmet and teeth guard and looked over towards where Amber had been seated, but she wasn't there. He combed the rest of his team that were rushing onto the field and saw her break free of the oncoming rush. He grinned and ran towards her. When she launched herself at him he spun her around with her legs locked around his waist and then brought her in for a kiss.

"Holy shit," Mike said as he caught up to them. "That your girl? Man, you got everything."

"Yes, I do. Amber, this is Mike Rodgers – an old friend of mine," he said as he set her on her feet.

"That sure didn't stop him none from knocking me on my ass," Mike said with a laugh. He nodded at Amber. "Nice to meet you, miss." He looked back at Joel and held his hand in a phone receiver gesture up to his ear. "Give me a call, man," he said as he headed back to his team.

When the Trojan band had marched onto the field he slipped an arm around Amber and hurried towards the benches. A water boy ran past and tossed him a cold water bottle. He sprayed his hair and face before taking a large gulp. Amber yelped and laughed when he shook his head and sprayed her with cold water. The coach was fielding scouts when he arrived, but broke away when he caught sight of him.

Randy smacked Joel on the back. "Nice fucking Hail Mary, kid! You've got quite the bandwagon, son," he said motioning to the scouts. He sighed when said bandwagon surrounded them, everyone talking at the same time, handing Joel their cards and telling him they were keeping any eye on him and what he would do next year.

It wasn't the first time he'd been approached by scouts, but it was the first time he had this many on him at one time. He tried to remain calm and casual, acting like it was all just a thing, but he knew Ams must have sensed his unease, because her hand began to rhythmically rub his back in soothing motions.

The college scouts fell silent when a new man entered the fray. They frowned in displeasure but gave way to him.

Terry took Joel's hand and shook it. "My name is Terry and I'm a scout for the Miami Dolphins. We were highly impressed with what we witnessed today. You have an amazing arm and showed great versatility and drive. We will be keeping an eye on you. If you perform just as well next year, I will be calling on you with an offer." He handed the kid his card and departed.

Another man took his place. "There's no need for you to go so far from home, son. I'm Mac," he said taking Joel's hand. "I'm with the Dallas Cowboys. Like you, my roots are right here in the magnificent state of Texas and Texas needs men like you."

Joel blinked. He wanted to ask the man if he was recruiting him to the militia, but he bit his tongue to keep his mouth in check.

"You're on my radar, son. Prove yourself again next year and you'll have a home with the Cowboys." He clapped Joel on the arm, handed him a card and grinned at the college scouts as he pulled out a cigar and walked away.

The college scouts dispersed as they located other team members they wanted to speak to. His parents, Tommy and Amber's parents finally made it onto the field and another round of hugs ensued. He handed the cards to his mom to slip into her purse.

Bethanne looked over the cards and her mouth fell open. "Oh, Joe-Joe…" She elbowed her husband and showed him two of the cards.

"Damn me…" Quinn said with a low whistle. "NFL, son?"

"Surprised the hell out of me too," he admitted. He'd never considered football a career. He still didn't. It was a means to an end for a paid college scholarship and that was all. The money would be nice, but he just wasn't sure he wanted to give his body that kind of long-term abuse.

Ian glared at Joel until Becky pulled him away. Joel was only a junior; he had another year to go. This had been Ian's last year to prove himself to the scouts and Joel had taken that way from him. Joel became quarterback because the rest of the team liked him better- it was a damned popularity contest and he refused to believe anything different. The NFL scouts didn't get to see him in action. That opportunity was lost to him and now he had to settle for the two college scouts that had been sniffing around.

Joel kissed Ams and hurried to the locker room to shower and change. The sting of the spray felt good against his body, but a much as he wanted to savor it he wouldn't. He didn't care about the rest of the team right now, he didn't care about the after party that was being thrown, all he wanted to do was enjoy a quiet restaurant with Ams.

"Well, well, if isn't he man of the hour," Ian sneered. "One day, wonder-boy – that house of cards you're standin' on is going to crumble and I hope I'm there to watch you fall."

He rinsed out his hair not bothering to even look at Ian. "I'm in too good of a mood right now – even you ain't going to sour it, Ian. So, fuck off."

When Ian moved on he dried off, slipped into his clothes and bagged his gear. He tossed his gear in the back of the bus and joined Ams at his bike. "There's this rustic place I was told about called The Rainbow Lodge – name sounds a might odd, but heard the food is something else," he said as he secured the helmet over her head.

"Interesting name," she grinned. "Sounds like a place where unicorns frolic."

He chuckled as he slid his helmet on. "I doubt they'd be frolicking if they were there – but we might could see their heads on the wall."

She frowned. If unicorns were real, they'd deserve a better fate than that. "So animals cross the rainbow bridge and end up at the rainbow lodge."

"Yup. Sounds about right," he said as he started the bike and headed out. He stopped at a Shell for gas and got directions for The Rainbow Lodge. He wasn't familiar with Houston and wasn't about to waste time driving around aimlessly trying to find it. He was directed to Memorial Drive and Birdsall Street.

The restaurant was as rustic as he'd been told. There was a hand-carved bar, dated decorations and animal mountings covering the walls. The atmosphere reminded him of a historic hunter's lodge. They were led to a small table and chairs. He seated his girl and then joined her. Their table had a small statue of a duck in flight on it. The chandeliers overhead were made of antlers. He was glad Amber didn't have an aversion to hunting or this date would have tanked hard.

He ordered steak and she had duck. The food was every bit as good as he'd been told. With full bellies and an experience to remember they hit the road for the long trip back home. They didn't beat the dark back, but he didn't mind driving at night. When he pulled into the garage he asked her if she wanted first call on the bathroom, but she'd told him to go ahead, that she was going to call her mom to let her know they'd gotten home safe.

He felt much more comfortable once he'd finished his business and he met her on the stairs when he was coming back down. He hugged his parents in passing and then fell back on his bed. It felt good to just lie down.

Amber saw Joel sprawled on the bed and snuggled in next to him. "Our moms gave me permission to stay the night if you've a mind to let me."

He grinned. They hadn't spent the night at each other's house in years. "Kicking you outta my bed is the last thing I want to do, Ams," he murmured as he pulled her in for a kiss. "If'n you recall, I have a promise to keep." And he did. He made love to her until they were both too exhausted to move and fell asleep in each other's arms.

-BREAK FOUR-

The next week was the best he could remember. He spent the majority of his time with Amber and Tommy whenever he wasn't off with his friends. But like all good things it had to end. He was now spending his days apprenticing under his father at Sterling and learning how to read blueprints and build houses. It was honest, hard word and he was learning a lot from his dad. He now understood why his dad just came home and sat around until he went to bed most nights. Regardless how tired he was, he still enjoyed his evenings and weekend with Amber.

Six weeks later the doorbell rang. It rang a second time before he remembered his parents had taken Tommy and gone to the store to pick up groceries. He released a slow breath. "I'll be right back," he told Amber.

When he opened the door he was shocked to see Becky standing there. "What do you want?" He knew his tone was abrupt, but he didn't care.

Becky pursed her lips. "I need money, Joel."

He shook his head in stunned disbelief. "Then ask your parents," he stated the obvious.

She wrung her hands together in agitation. "I can't. They'd kill me if they found out!"

He raked a hand through his hair and sighed in exasperation. "Found out what, Becky?"

"I'm pregnant, Joel!" she hissed.

He rolled his eyes. "That's not my concern. Go tell Ian and leave me the hell alone."

She had told Ian and he'd slammed the door in her face. "Ian and I – we've only recently..." she lied. "The baby's yours, Joel and I need money for an abortion."

An icy grip seized his heart and he took a stumbling step back. "You're wrong," he wheezed through a tight throat. "It was only one drunk night, Becky. It can't be mine." No…no…no…That's when Ian's words came back to haunt him. 'One day, wonder-boy – that house of cards you're standin' on is going to crumble and I hope I'm there to watch you fall.' Ian wasn't here, but he could feel his whole world shift beneath his feet and he knew that he was falling and there was no safety net to catch him. Not this time.

"That's all it takes, Joel!" Her gaze shifted to the girl that had come up behind Joel. "Don't think this can't happen to you, miss perfect!"

Joel spun around to see the wide eyed look of pain in Amber's face and his heart shattered. He took a step towards her, but she held up a hand to ward him off. His head fell when she ran from him. He heard his sliding door close and knew that she'd left. That was when he realized he'd lost everything. Amber had realized before he had what Becky's pregnancy meant. She had known him too well, better than he'd known himself.

He turned back around to face a girl that repulsed him. "I'm not giving you money to kill my baby, but I'll take responsibility. I'll marry you and give the baby my name." The words tasted like ash coming off his lips.

"How noble of you," Becky sneered with a stamp of her foot. "You might be willing to ruin your life, but I'm not! Give me the money I need so you can go back to your little girlfriend!"

"I'm not giving you a goddamned dime, Becky!" he shouted. "Marry me or not, but you will not kill my baby – have I made myself clear?" He was furious at her and himself. One stupid party – one stupid decision to get drunk and he'd single handedly laid everything he had or wanted to have to waste.

She'd backed herself into a corner. She wanted to screech that it wasn't his baby, but she couldn't. If he wouldn't give her money to get rid of the parasite then her only option was to marry him. Ian certainly wasn't going to marry her; he never wanted to see her again. Must be nice to be a guy and able to walk away from any mistakes he made without even a look back. She lowered her eyes and stared at the floor. She would never get her life back now. "Fine, Joel. I'll marry you when my parents find out, but not until then." Her mouth opened then closed. There was nothing more to say. She turned and walked away.

He closed the door and leaned against it when his legs threatened to give out. He wanted to go see Amber but he knew he had to give her time, because her world had just been shattered too. He felt as though he'd just been dropped into a hell there was no escape from…a hell of his own making. He made his way slowly to the sofa and collapsed on it.

When his parents got home he helped them put the groceries away on auto-pilot and then called them into the living room to talk to them once Tommy went upstairs to his room.

Bethanne took her son's hand and looked at her husband bleakly. Her son deserved better than the likes of Becky. He deserved Ams. Her heart went out to her son and to Ams. She could only imagine the pain Ams was going through after waiting for years for her son to see her as a woman.

"Son, this isn't the olden days, ya don't have to marry that girl – you can just help support the baby," Quinn pointed out.

He squeezed his mother's hand and rose to pace. "I don't want to be a part-time dad. I want to be there every night for my child –like you were for me. I want my child to have my name. No, dad – there is no choice. This is my responsibility and I'll handle it."

Bethanne rose to hug her son. "Do what you feel you need to do. This isn't going to be easy for anyone, but we will always stand behind you, Joe-Joe."

A week later Becky arrived at his door with suitcase in hand and tears running down her cheeks. "Mama and daddy kicked me out. Mama found my pregnancy test in the trash….I have no place else to go," she said quietly.

Joel raked a hand through his hair, opened the door wider and took the suitcase from her hand. And so it begins. "Follow me," he said dully. He glanced at his parents, who'd heard everything and nodded. He knew they didn't want her in their house but he also knew they'd never kick a pregnant girl out onto the streets. He led her back to his room. "You can stay here – I'll sleep on the sofa. Have you eaten dinner?"

"Yes," she nodded and crumpled on the bed to cry.

He sat down next to her and laid a hand on her arm. "Look, we'll get through this Becky. We're not the first teenage parents and we won't be the last."

"But this is MY life," she said with a fresh burst of tears.

He frowned and stood up. "Grow up, Becky! It's not just _your_ life, it's my life too."

"Then you should have given me the money – none of this had to happen! This is your fault!" She pulled his pillow over her head and screamed at the top of her lungs.

"I'm not going to let you kill my baby!" He grabbed an extra pillow and blanket and had to stop himself from slamming the door when he left the room.

He dropped the pillow and blanket on the recliner. "I'm going to go see Ams," he said quietly because his mom was on the phone.

He hurried over to her house. It was the first time she'd been willing to speak with him in a week. Mama Nell answered the door and pulled him into a hug. "Life isn't always fair. I'm sorry, Joe-Joe. Ams is upstairs."

"Thanks, Mama Nell – this isn't want I wanted. I thought Ams and I…." his words trailed off.

"I know, honey…so did I." She wiped her eyes. "Go on upstairs now," she said as she shooed him with her hands. She didn't want to add to his guilt by seeing her burst into tears.

He hurried up the stairs and turned right. He opened the door and came to stop when he saw her staring out the window towards his house. His eyes filled up with tears. He may not have been head in the clouds in love with her, but she was his soulmate, his best friend, family…and he loved her enough to want to build a life with her. He didn't doubt for a moment how happy they could have been together.

He caught sight of two suitcases and tears fell unchecked down his cheeks. She was leaving. He was really losing her. He closed the door and joined her at the window. "Ams…" the word was barely more than a whisper, his throat too tight to talk.

She turned and pulled him into a hug, not bothering to try to hide her red eyes and wet cheeks. "I had to see you before – before I left. My parents are taking me to Houston tomorrow. I'll be interning for a year...maybe two and then I might apply to the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia. I'm sorry, Joe-Joe – it would hurt too much to stay and see you with her."

His heart squeezed painfully. He'd never been apart from her and now it might be years before he could see her again. "I know. I understand. But I need you to know that I will never be _with_ her. She will have my name, but she won't have me. I can't – I can't be with her like that. She wanted me to give her the money to kill the baby. But I can't do that, Ams. I'll support the baby, but I won't kill it. I wish…it doesn't matter what I wish," he mumbled.

She pulled back to look at him. "What do you wish, Joe-Joe?"

He grazed his fingers along her cheek. "So many things. I wish I could turn back time and not go to that fucking party. I wish you were having my baby – not her. I'm sorry – I shouldn't have said that. I don't mean to hurt you, but it's you I want to marry…I – I can't even stand her." He shuddered.

"But you are too much of a gentleman to walk away, even if the price you have to pay is high," she said gently.

His fingers slipped through her golden brown hair to cup her head. "It's too goddamned high. I can't bear the thought of losing you."

She swallowed hard. "You aren't losing me, Joe-Joe. I just need time. You're my best friend. I'll always love you."

He closed his eyes. It felt like his heart was being ripped to shreds. "I love you too, Ams…" he whispered.

Her heart clenched in pain. She knew he loved her, he showed her in lots of little ways, but it was the first time he'd ever told her. She rose on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his. When he deepened the kiss with a groan she couldn't refuse him. She needed this one last time with him, before he would be out of her reach forever. Just one more time and then she would let him go.

He ended up staying the night with her. He made love to her until they were exhausted. He held her in his arms as they slept and made love to her again when they woke up. He didn't leave her side until Mama Nell and Papa Quinn drove off with her looking out the window at him with cheeks at wet as his own. Nothing would ever be the same again…and it was all _his_ fault. He'd destroyed what they had and now they all had to face the consequences.

-BREAK FIVE-

His mom had made arrangements with Becky's parents and a special marriage license was signed three weeks later. He was officially married…but to the wrong girl. Becky chose to go to a magnet school her senior year that centered around pregnant teenagers. She didn't want to face her friends at school. He understood that. He continued playing football his senior year – it was his only hope of a college scholarship and a future. He worked an evening job so he could have his wife covered by medical insurance.

He could do nothing about the tension in the house. His parents tried to include Becky and make her feel like part of the family, even though he knew they couldn't stand her. But Becky acted like being there was a pleasant as a burr up her ass. His relationship with Tommy had become Rocky. He didn't understand why his brother kept pushing at him, but it was becoming harder and harder not to knock him on his ass.

From Ams he heard nothing… at least nothing that told him anything. Her replies to his emails were short and stilted. He knew she was alive, but nothing more. Her parents assured him she was fine, just busy with her internship. God, he missed her. His life was spinning out of control and he had no one to turn to so he bottled it up and kept pushing forward one step at a time.

On February 22, Becky gave birth to a 7.12lb baby girl. He hadn't been able to make it home in time for the delivery because his boss wouldn't let him go. When he arrived at the hospital he went straight to the nursery to see her. The nurse rolled the bassinet to Becky's room so he could spend some time with her. Thankfully, Becky was asleep. He settled into the chair next to his mother and the nurse put his daughter in his arms.

She was swaddled in a pink blanket, a soft hat with a bow on her head. To him, she was the prettiest little mite he'd ever seen. "Has she been named yet?" he asked quietly.

Bethanne frowned. "No, Becky wanted nothing to do with her."

His lips tightened. "Fine. Then I'll name her Sarah Beth Miller." Sarah was his paternal grandmother. She died a few years past, but he'd been close to her. Naming her after two important people in his life seemed like the right thing to do. He passed the baby to his mother when the nurse came in with admittance, insurance and birth certificate paperwork for him to fill out.

He laid the clipboard on the table when he completed the paperwork. The nurse came in to collect the clipboard and handed him a small bottle. She made sweet little humming noises as she drank. He didn't have to like Becky to love this little girl. He hadn't expected to feel the kind of attachment he had for the baby. But from the moment he'd first clapped eyes on her she was the most precious thing in the world to him.

Becky and Sarah got to come home the next day. Becky still refused to have anything to do with her daughter, so he was the one that got up for her nighttime feedings. When his mother noticed what was going on, she'd gotten on Becky's case, but Becky was her normal, stubborn self. So his mother put in her two week notice at work so that she could be home for the baby. Mama Nell watched Sarah during the days until his mom's two week obligation was up.

It was financially tight for the next three months living off his father's income and what little he brought in with his part time job. When he graduated in mid May, he took a fulltime job at Sterling and worked alongside his father. Any hopes of college went up in flames. He'd had to pass on the scholarships and even the NFL offers. He had a baby to take care of and he had no intension of being a part-time father.

When he and his father arrived home from work he saw his mom and Mama Nell talking quietly at the kitchen table with babies in their arms. Mama Nell and Papa Will weren't handling the whole 'empty nest' thing very well and had adopted a newborn baby girl a couple of months back. "So we finally get to meet the newest Hanson," Joel teased as he dropped a kiss on his daughter's forehead and then looked down at the two month old. "Welcome, little Lindsey – I bet you and Sarah are gonna be the best of friends just like me and Amber." He forced a smile and pushed the emotion down deep. Every day of his life he missed her. She'd left behind a hole in his heart that nothing could fill.

The babies were very different in appearance. His Sarah took after her mother. She had white blonde hair coming in and bright blue eyes. Little Lindsey had brown hair and dark blue eyes that were likely going to turn brown when she got a little older. But it would be just like old times with a Miller and Hanson growing up together.

Nellie smiled up at the man she considered a son. "Do you want to hold her, Joe-Joe?" He deserved to know the truth about Lindsey, but it wasn't her truth to tell.

When he held out his arms, Mama Nell placed the little girl in them. "Hello there, baby girl." He grinned when she gripped his finger in her tiny hand. She wasn't as loud as Sarah but she just as adorable. She stared at him intently for a moment and then her little mouth curved up into a tongue filled smile.

Becky stepped out of the room for a glass of wine and caught sight of Joel holding the baby that she'd heard about. The baby's dark hair so similar to Joel's. That was when the truth dawned on her and a spiteful worm of jealousy bore through her. "Get that brat out of my house! I don't want her near Sarah!" she screeched.

Both babies startled and began to cry. He kissed Lindsey's forehead and handed her back to Mama Nell before storming over to his wife. He gripped her arm, yanked her back into the bedroom and closed the door. "This is NOT _your_ house, Becky! You have made us all well aware how little you like being here and how little you give a damn or respect anyone in this house. You have NO right to dictate who is welcome here and you don't give two shits about Sarah – so quit acting like a child!"

His words were infuriating. "You are so fucking blind to everything, Joel. Get out – get the fuck out," she said as she gave his chest a hard shove. When the door closed behind him she curled up into a ball on the bed and gave into the tears. He was responsible for everything that happened to her. The pregnancy, the loss of her friends, the stretch marks…she was so goddamned lonely and it was all _his_ fault. She was married to a man that could barely look at her much less touch her. She stayed hoping he would join the NFL. When that didn't happen she had to console herself that he was going to start singing again and would become a famous singer she could at least be proud of. That was the only thing that kept her in this hell.

He stared at the closed door and shook his head. He glanced over at the stairs to see his dad coming down fresh from a shower and then looked over at the ladies. "I'm sorry about that."

Bethanne frowned at her son. "Don't you even take the blame for something she did, Joe-Joe. Becky is responsible for her own actions – that is something life is going to teach her sooner or later."

"Becky strikes again?" Quinn asked quietly.

"Yeah, she said Lindsey wasn't allowed in her house or near Sarah," Joel admitted.

"Joel took care of it, honey." Bethanne told him.

Quinn nodded at took a closer look at the newest Hanson. The smile faded from his lips when he noticed the small, slightly darker patch of skin behind the baby's ear, nearly covered up by her dark hair. He gently ran his hand over the top of her head and used his thumb to separate the hairs. He looked from the baby to Nellie and back to the baby before he swung his head to look at his son. "Son, why don't you go up and take a shower – you're smellin' a bit ripe."

Joel flushed in embarrassment. After the Becky incident he'd completely forgotten he was going to shower. "Yes, sir." He hurried up the stairs to wash away a day's worth of sweat.

Quinn turned to Nellie when he heard the bathroom door close. "He has a right to know, Nellie."

Nellie's mouth fell open and then slammed shut. "How did you know?"

He pointed to the patch of skin. "She has the same beauty mark Joel has behind his ear. I'm not sure if he's ever noticed it, but we noticed it when he was a baby."

Nellie looked at where Quinn had pointed and sighed. "It's not my place to say anything, Quinn."

Bethanne was stunned, she hadn't noticed the mark before and now she couldn't unsee it. "Why would Ams not want to tell him?"

Nellie kissed her grandbaby. "He's struggling with the family he's got, she doesn't want to burden him further…and she doesn't want to hurt him. He'd told her all he wanted was to marry her and have her bear his children. She was told she'd never get pregnant. Lindsey is our little miracle baby. But to know he could have had all he wanted…" she shook her head. "He was already married by the time she found out she was carrying his babe. She was afraid he might destroy his family to marry her. She couldn't bear that kind of guilt."

"This isn't going to end well. He's going to feel like she betrayed him," Quinn pointed out.

Nellie looked at him helplessly. "Maybe so, but she could handle that more than she could handle breaking up his family. I'm not saying I agree with what she'd doing, Quinn – but can you honestly say that Joel wouldn't divorce Becky the moment he found out about Lindsey? That Becky wouldn't retaliate by taking Sarah from him just to hurt him? I realize she'd get sick of the baby soon and probably dump her off on Joel to go live her life, but what would Sarah suffer through before that happened?" Nellie shook her head. "There were just too many consequences. I know she'll tell him when she thinks the time is right."

Bethanne held Sarah tighter. What Nellie predicted would likely come to pass. "You understand that if we say nothing that we are betraying our son too."

"I'm sorry," Nellie said softly. "You weren't supposed to find out. I just wanted Sarah and Lindsey to have the chance to be close, even if they can't know they are sisters yet."

"How is Ams doing?" Quinn asked in a tight voice.

Nellie wiped her eyes. "She took a four week break after Lindsey's birth so she could spend time with her daughter and bond with her. Being away from Lindsey is hard on her. But she wants to finish her internship and have a steady job so that she can take care of her."

Quinn nodded. It was the responsible thing to do if you had parents willing to help. "It's not right, a father has the right to know his children…but I also think you're right about Becky and what she would do. Becky is unstable; we can't risk anything happening to Sarah." He shook his head. It was sad that it had come to that.

Nellie cleared her throat when Joel came down the stairs. "Take a seat in the chair, Joe-Joe. I want to take a pic of the two girls together – if'n ya don't mind holding them both for me."

Joel grinned. "Anything for you, Mama Nell." He lowered himself into the soft recliner and rounded his arms to cradle each baby against his chest. Once the girls were settled against him he grinned up at the camera on her phone.

Nellie then sent copies of the pic to their emails and her daughter. "Thanks, Joe-Joe." She picked up Lindsey and wrapped her in a blanket. "I need to get her home so I don't mess up her sleep schedule. See ya tomorrow, Beth. Night all," she said as she slipped out the door.

His parents kissed the top of his head before they headed up to bed. He was used to his mom's kisses, but his dad had surprised him. He hadn't done that since he was child. He laid his baby girl in her playpen while he fixed her a bottle. Then he scooped her up and sang softly to her as he rocked her in the chair and fed her.

-BREAK SIX-

Over the next few months Joel had started playing the guitar and singing to his daughter. She inspired him to the point that he'd go out to Teiner's on Saturday night and sing there as well. Much to his displeasure, Becky had insisted on joining him, putting on some big song and dance as if they were a happily married couple. He had no clue what she was up to, but that was probably for the best. Sarah was growing so fast he could swear he could actually see it. She was crawling…then standing while holding onto something and her teeth were coming in.

Whenever he got home from work his mom would fill him in on everything Sarah and Lindsey had been up to. She also let him know that Becky had new friends and was disappearing for most of the day. He had hoped that Becky would come to love Sarah like he did, but it seemed she was just becoming more distant. Maybe she just needed more time. Regardless, his heart went out to his daughter. At least she was too young to be hurt by her mother's actions. But someday – if Becky didn't come around, she would feel that pain.

His friendship with Ams was also finally starting to get back on track. She was more outgoing in her emails and even talked to him now and again on the phone. He doubted they would ever get back what they had, but so long as she was in his life he was content. She'd even let him know that she'd started dating a man named Mark. He wasn't sure how he felt about that, but so long as he made her happy he would support her decision.

Ever since her parents adopted Lindsey, Amber had been coming back home for the weekends. Once in awhile she would even show up at Teiner's to watch him sing. He enjoyed those nights, it was almost like old times, except she made sure they were never alone together. Maybe she didn't trust him anymore or maybe she didn't trust herself and that was probably for the best, because he still wanted to make love to her. He hadn't been with anyone since her and she was the only one he would forsake his vows for.

Today they were having a small party for Sarah's first birthday. It was a Saturday so even Ams and Mark were going to be able to make it. He doubted he was going to like seeing Ams with another man, but he wanted to meet Mark. Lots of pictures were taken. No one could resist the two babies with cake covered faces. He even had to grudgingly admit that he liked Mark. He was smart and witty and seemed to adore the ground Ams walked on. He even seemed to enjoy playing with the babies. The only person that wasn't there for Sarah's birthday was her mother.

He ran into Amber when he was coming out of the bathroom and found himself hugging her. She felt so good in his arms that he didn't want to let her go.

She clung to him for a moment and took a deep breath. "My life didn't turn out as I wanted it to…but sometimes dreams don't come true and you have to learn to live with that. I'll always love you, Joe-Joe. You'll always be the love of my life. It's just – it's time for me to move on. And Mark – he's not you….but he's a damned good guy."

She was a beautiful woman that deserved the chance to be happy, even if it couldn't be with him. "I know, Ams. So long as he makes you happy, I'll be content."

She wanted so badly to tell him about Lindsey, but the fallout would be devastating. There was not a doubt in her mind that Joel would leave Becky and that Becky would go ape shit and baby Sarah would be caught in the crosshairs. "Thank you, Joel." She released him and slipped into the bathroom to compose herself.

He exhaled a slow, ragged breath, squared his shoulders and went back down to join the others. The party ended when the baby girls were too tired to keep their eyes open.

Three months later his father surprised his mother with an Alaskan cruise for their anniversary. After the cruise they were going to fly out to a remote town and play homesteader for a week. They would be panning for gold in a creek, riding horses, cooking over an open fire and living like they did in the olden days. He doubted he'd enjoy living without electricity and toilet paper, but his mama loved the idea.

Mama Nell watched Sarah during the day while his parents were away. When they didn't call him he started to get concerned. Maybe they'd liked the homesteading so much they decided to stay on a bit longer. They couldn't exactly call him from where they were – there was no cell service. When a second week went by he knew something was wrong. His parents wouldn't have been gone that long without finding a way to notify him. He put Sarah to bed in the crib he'd made her and located the information concerning the travel agency they'd gone through. Mary, the travel agent, assured him she would reach out to the Klondike Experience company to find out where his parents were. All he could do now was wait.

Tommy told him there was a message left on the recorder when he got home from work the next day with a number to call. He picked up the phone and dialed the number. "Hello, is Kenoah Yakecen there?" He waited for the receptionist to get him.

"This is Keno, what can I do for you?" Kenoah asked.

"My name is Joel Miller. My parents, Bethany and Quinn Miller booked a stay at the Klondike Experience. A message was left on my machine to call. I'm trying to locate them." There was a brief silence.

"I'm extremely sorry, Mr. Miller. I was going to call you when I learned more. They left Lime Village on May 26th in a Piper PA-18. The last contact we had with the pilot mentioned navigational failure. After that we lost contact with him. A bad thunderstorm cell came in from seemingly nowhere. It is believed that the craft was struck by lightning multiple times. Likely hitting the fuel tank. Debris is scattered in over 120 meters. No bodies have been found. There are rescue parties scouring the woods for possible survivors."

An icy cold saturated his body. This wasn't happening. This was a nightmare and he'd wake up sweating with his heart racing, but everything would be fine. He had to force words through his tight throat. "The search parties…that's just a formality, ain't it?" The silence was deafening.

Kenoah exhaled slowly. If he were the one receiving the news he would not want someone to give him false hope. "Honestly, yes. We believe the temperature was too extreme to allow for …anything recognizable to be left intact. But that hasn't stopped the men and women from coming together to search for survivors."

Joel cleared his throat. "Thank you," he said hoarsely, "for not bullshitting me."

Kenoah felt awful about what happened. It was a vicious act of God, there was nothing the pilot could have done, but still it had happened on his watch. "I wouldn't want to hear bullshit either. I'll let you know when the final report is out."

He thanked the man again and hung up. He would wait to tell Tommy until the final report was out. It would give him time to come to grips with what happened before he had to face Tommy's grief as well. He would need to talk to Mama Nell too, to see if he could hire her to watch Sarah full time, at least until Tommy got home from school.

He wasn't sure if his parents had life insurance, it wasn't something they'd ever talked about. Regardless, things were about to get much tighter for them. He would have to get a second job to keep their heads above water. That meant he'd have less time to spend with his baby girl.

By the time he was notified of the report and his parents deaths were declared he'd already had a second job lined out. He took Sarah to Mama Nell's so that he could spend the evening talking things out with Tommy. It was heartbreaking for both of them. The pain brought them close in a way they hadn't experienced since Becky moved in.

He was grateful that his brother was willing to step in and take care of Sarah after school. He'd even eventually talked Mama Nell into being paid to watch Sarah. What he didn't know what that she put the money aside into a trust fund for Lindsey from him.

Four weeks later he came home from work to find Becky in the front room with two suitcases. "Going somewhere?" he asked, though now he was beyond caring.

"I waited and waited for you to do something with your life. You gave up the NFL – for what? Your parents would have helped you with Sarah. You could have made a name for yourself – we could have been rich and you threw it all way. Fine. I hung on because I thought you'd start singin' again. Teiner's gave me a breath of hope that you would do somethin'. That your name would be in lights – you'd be a famous singer…we would go on tours. But you pissed all over that, Joel, and you refused to be a husband to me. You're a nothing...a nobody…a loser - and you're never goin' to amount to shit! I can't do this anymore!"

He knew this conversation would be coming at some point. Fine. So be it. "I have a daughter, Becky! I have a responsibility to her and I had no intension of being an on the road dad. I was hopin' you would come around someday and love Sarah like I do, but you'd have to actually _have_ heart to be capable of lovin' anyone but yourself!"

Her lips thinned. "You knew I wasn't ready to be a mother! I begged you for money to get rid of that little brat. Do you know what they do to you at abortion clinics? They make you watch a video of a baby getting its limbs and body torn into chunks and sucked up a hose. It was disgustin', but I knew I needed it anyway. I wasn't ready! I'm not ready!" She shook her head. "You refused to grant me freedom."

He had no clue abortions were like that. To think she would have done such a thing to Sarah. "I wasn't going to let you kill my child!"

"Your child…your precious Sarah…" she laughed hysterically. "The joke's on you, Joel. You lost your girlfriend…your future…all for a baby that wasn't even yours!"

He wondered when she was going to get around to telling him. "Ya think I didn't know? She looks just like you an' Ian, but I fell in love with her the moment I saw her. I didn't need to sire her to love her. She's MY daughter and I'd do anything for her!"

She'd wanted to hurt him for all the pain and heartache he'd put her through and she was denied even that. "I should have used a fucking coat hanger – _after_ we got married! You'd have lost your girlfriend and your precious daughter! I'd have had the last laugh and you'd be left with nothin'!"

He'd learned far more than he ever wanted to learn. He knew she was a selfish bitch, but he'd chalked it up to being immature. Thought she'd eventually grow out of it. But she was a black-hearted viper and now he realized she always had been. "Get the hell outta my house and don't you never come back!" he seethed.

She laughed and tossed her light blonde hair. "Oh -I'm gone, Joel…even you couldn't have missed my bags. But you'll never be free of me, Joel. You'll never get to go back to Miss Perfect. In the end, _I_ win."

He was glad she was leaving. Sarah didn't need that hateful woman in her life. "It doesn't matter anymore – Ams is getting married. So, I could give two shits what you do as long as I never see you again."

She heard the car honk, picked up her bags and headed for the front door – eager to get away from this hell. "Poor Joe-Joe…too little too late to have his perfect little life with his perfect little _Am-ber_ ," she said snidely. _"_ …all because he had to play white-knight. Now all he has left in the world is a bratty brother and bastard child." She laughed. "Some guys have all the luck – but you done kicked a leprechaun two years ago. Have fun with that – _Joe-Joe_." She slammed the door and hurried to the car.

Joel picked up Sarah when she started crying. "Shhh…It's gonna be alright, baby girl," he said in a soothing voice as he rocked her.

Tommy hurried down the stairs, his face red with fury and threw himself down on the sofa. He couldn't help but overhear since Becky had been screeching. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

Joel smiled at his brother. "More so than I've been in a long time, little brother. The house just feels lighter with her gone. You…me…Sarah…we're gonna be just fine."

Tommy had been surprised to learn that Sarah wasn't Joel's real daughter. His brother had given up so much for little Sarah. He knew his brother regretted losing Ams, but he never once regretted Sarah. Joel's eyes lit up whenever he saw his daughter. He was still reeling from the loss of their parents and everything Joel had to do to keep them fed and a roof over their head, but he believed in his brother's words. Joel always knew what needed to be done and did it without complaint. "Yup, we're gonna be just fine."

-BREAK SEVEN-

It was nearly three years later when Henry knocked on his door and handed him a certified divorce decree. He hadn't seen or heard from Becky since she left and it was no surprise to him that she didn't even bother showing up at court. The judge stamped the divorce and gave him full custody of Sarah. They were both finally free of Becky. He only had a single picture of Becky that had been taken when they were dating. He didn't want to keep it, but he kept it for Sarah. She had a right to know about her mom and if she ever asked he would only say she wasn't ready to have children so they'd agreed that he would raise her. He didn't want to badmouth Becky to her. Maybe, if she ever sought to find her, he would come clean. He did not want to see his baby girl get hurt again by her mother.

By the time Tommy was sixteen he'd gotten real good at his buttons and as brothers were wont to do, he'd not always reacted kindly to Tommy's pushes – though never in front of his daughter. She had a way of calming him. Not by anything she did, just by her being there. Tommy also started apprenticing under him during the summer so that he would have something to fall back on if he didn't go to college.

Ams and Mark had both taken jobs at the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia. During the summers he'd had to hire someone to watch Sarah during the day once Tommy turned sixteen and decided to get a summer job, because the Hansons all went to spend the summer months in Georgia with Amber. The woman he'd found to take care of Sarah worked part time at Teiner's. Her name was Marci and she had a daughter about Sarah's age, so at least Sarah had a friend to spend time with over the summer.

Tommy loved football as much as he did, but he couldn't talk him into playing it. He had it in his head that he would always be in his older brother's shadow and he'd rather do his own thing, so instead he played soccer and when Sarah was old enough to tumble about the backyard he started playing with her. Sarah loved running after the black and white ball, even if she spent more time tripping over her own feet then actually kicking it.

When Tommy turned eighteen on August 16, 2007, Marci watched Sarah so that he could spend time with his brother. They'd rented Harley's and went on a road trip. They started out in the Texas panhandle. They visited the Buddy Holly Center in Lubbock, the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, they rode horses in the Palo Duro Canyon and in Wichita Falls. They then headed to New Mexico and visited the Roswell UFO Museum and toured the Carlsbad Caverns with a ranger tour guide. In Arizona they explored Tombstone's Wild West exhibits and joined a Grand Canyon tour on horseback. They rode along the coast of California, stopping every now and again to rent surfboards. In Oregon they went to Depoe Bay and rented a charter to get close to the resident pod of grey whales. They rode the Washington coastline all the way up to the Olympic National park where they hiked out to see the hot springs and waterfalls.

On the ride back the only stops they made were to eat and sleep. They needed to get back to work.

When Tommy graduated Joel helped him get a job at Sterling. While the road trip with Tommy was memorable and something they badly needed, he'd missed his daughter tremendously and called her at least once a day if he had reception. One day he hoped to make this journey with Sarah – maybe take her to the Disney Adventure Park.

A few months after they returned Tommy moved out of the house to start his own life. He still came over on the weekends, and they had Saturday nights at Teiner's, but they needed time apart too. Working together and living together had strained things and they both welcomed the break.

He moved Sarah into Tommy's room. She let them both know she wasn't pleased that Tommy moved out, but she came to enjoy having a bedroom that actually had a closet and was close to the bathroom. He left the twin bed in the den in case Tommy or a guest needed somewhere to sleep. He also couldn't bring himself to sell or dismantle the crib that he'd made her when she was a baby. But he made use of the rest of the room as an office.

Since they only had a one car garage and he used that to design wooden furniture, he ended up parking his mom's car in their large backyard in front of the shed. He still used it when they went into town to get groceries or he took the three girls out to the park, but his primary vehicle was his dad's truck since he had to use it every day for work. His bike tended to be neglected. Sarah wasn't old enough to ride with him on it and he went few places without her. Tommy had borrowed it after he first moved out until he bought an SUV. Now it pretty much gathered dust in the shed…a relic of his past.

After the divorce he occasionally went out on a date every now and again, if only for a bit of companionship, but his heart wasn't in it. He didn't want to bring anyone into Sarah's life that could potentially hurt her. One day maybe he would find someone he connected with, but if he didn't he was content with how things were. In all honesty, he didn't have time for anyone else in his life. He worked long hours with two jobs and didn't get to spend as much time with his daughter as he wanted. Having someone else in the picture would lessen the time he had with her. And time with Sarah was not something he was willing to give up; children grew up too quickly.


	2. The Last of Us - Forged In Hell Ch2

The Last of Us – Forged In Hell

Chapter Two

Life Before Hell

She wasn't a fan of ruins. She was a woman of the light. And now here she was in the dusty, creepy, moldering ruin of a castle with only the whistle of the wind and the pitter patter of rain to keep her company. She shivered as a spider crawled over the tip of her shoe. She shook her foot and shuddered as it jumped away from her. "Ugh….nasty little bugs."

She grimaced as her skin began to crawl. She could swear she felt bugs crawling all over her. She pulled her communicator out of her pocket to let them know she was on site but it there was no signal. "Of course…" she muttered and pushed it back into her pocket. What else could go wrong? She shook her head. She was just being silly. Nothing was going to happen. She took a deep, calming breath. You cannot conquer your fears unless you face them. Technically, she didn't actually fear bugs, they just creeped her out.

She squared her shoulders. She was here for a reason. The artifact. It was too dangerous for her to want anyone else exposed to its darkness and that was why she was here alone. She wasn't even sure it _was_ here, this was just one of the ruins she had to investigate. She waved her hand and sent out a burst of power to clear away any remaining spiders. She heard a creak, but didn't see the falling mirror until it was too late. Icy cold lowered down her body, she felt herself falling forward and heard the sound of breaking glass. She landed hard on the ground, the breath rushing from her lungs.

She took a moment to get her bearings. She didn't feel any pain and why was she on the ground? She looked around; blades of grass obscured her vision and the warmth of the sun heated her skin. She blinked in confusion and rose to her feet. Trees, houses – nothing familiar. She could hear the sounds of birds chirping and distant dogs barking. Where the hell was she? She spun around and saw a mirror behind her, but it wasn't the mirror that had broken against her. Broken…wait – she didn't hear the mirror actually break until it hit the ground. No..no…that would be crazy. No one could fall through a mirror, could they? Mirrors weren't portals. And if such a thing ever existed wouldn't the archives have mentioned it?

She reached out and touched the surface of the mirror, but it was cold and hard against her fingertips. Why? If she fell through it she should be able to get back through it. Dread turned her belly into a tight knot. She couldn't get back through because there was no receiving mirror – it shattered. She couldn't go back. She stumbled back from the mirror in shock, her feet moving towards the street. How would she ever survive here in this…this place? Where would she -" A loud rumble broke through her thoughts and she swung her head around to see a vehicle approaching at a fast pace. A movement caught her eye. A little girl was riding something on two wheels down the driveway across from her towards the road, her head bobbing up and down in a strange manner. The youngling didn't seem to notice the car heading towards her.

She screamed at the girl to get her attention, but the girl gave no indication that she'd heard her. She darted towards the road waving her hands to get one of them to notice her. Shooting power at either one would hurt them, so she forced her feet to move faster. Before she could even reach the road, she heard a screeching noise and she leapt, propelling herself with a burst of power, arms outstretched towards the girl. Her arm caught the girl around the middle and she flung her backwards adding a small burst of power to propel her away from the vehicle. The corner of the vehicle clipped her hip, pain exploded as she felt herself hurtled through the air. She twisted her body to land on her feet. A blinding pain shot through her and her left leg gave out. She landed hard on her back, her breath coming in harsh gasps. Now that hurt. Her hand splayed against the grass, feeling the blades between her fingers. Shadows fell over her and she opened her eyes to see three faces peering down at her, a blonde child, a man with short, dark hair with a trim beard and another man with light brown unkempt hair.

Trevor's heart slammed hard in his chest. "I didn't see them until it was too late!"

"Shut up!" Joel growled. He'd been watching the woman through the window and saw what happened. He had run like hell, but he hadn't gotten to his daughter in time. He could only watch as the woman jumped far further than she should have been able to, flung his daughter away from the car and took the hit that had been meant for her. He had been stunned when he saw her turn and land on her feet and for the briefest moment he had thought she was uninjured until she crumpled. Right now he was furious with his daughter, he'd told her time and time again not to listen to music when she was on her bike. He'd deal with her later, what mattered right now was the woman. When he saw her move as if to rise he put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her gently back to the ground. "Don't move - you might have broken something." He shot an aggravated look at the driver. "You have a cell, don't you?" At the man's nod his brows drew together. "Then call the damned paramedics!"

Trevor blinked as the words sank in. He jumped up and ran to his car. "What's your address?" He repeated the address to the 911 agent and then ran back to the injured woman. "They are going to be here in about 15 minutes or so."

She looked from one to the other, their words made no sense to her. They weren't speaking basic or any other language she'd heard before. "I don't understand you."

Joel blinked and looked back down at the woman that had saved his daughter. Her words were foreign to him, almost lilting. "Sarah – run in and call Tommy to come pick you up." His gaze didn't leave the woman's pale honey colored eyes – eyes that matched her hair. Eyes that were filled with pain. Sweat lined her brow. When her hand reached out he took it and felt the trembling of her body and an odd hum coursed through him, which he chose to ignore because he couldn't explain it. "I'm sorry, ma'am, I don't understand what you said." He tried to make his voice as soothing as possible. "The paramedics are coming. They'll take care of you." He gently wiped a smudge of dirt from her face. "Thank you kindly for what you did for Sarah – I couldn't reach her in time. She's all I have left." He did not even glance at the driver. He was a private man and was uncomfortable sharing – but he owed this woman far more than he could ever repay.

Normally, she was better at comprehending languages, but the pain was interfering with her comprehension. Taking his hand had given her a direct line. She didn't understand what a para was, but she did understand medic. A healer. Sarah must be family. A sister or a daughter if she was all he had left. "I couldn't let her get hurt," she said softly. Her eyes widened when she heard the sirens. When she struggled to rise his hand once again pushed on her shoulder to keep her down. "I'm vulnerable on the ground; I need to be on my feet."

"Be still," he told her as looked up to see the local sheriff's car approaching. "Henry," he acknowledged as the older cop stepped from the car.

Trevor stood up to face the cop. "A little girl rode her bike out in front of my car and that woman," he said motioning to the woman on the ground, "jumped from nowhere to push her out of the way. I tried to stop, but my brakes locked up… I – I couldn't…the woman was hit." He ran his shaky hands through his hair in agitation. Nothing like this had ever happened to him before and he was terrified for the woman and admittedly for himself as well.

The sheriff put a hand on the young man's shoulders. He could smell no alcohol and his pupils weren't dilated. "Calm down, son. Were you speeding?" He asked the question even though no one had ever admitted to speeding before.

Trevor shook his head. "I don't think so…maybe…last time I looked I wasn't – but it happened so fast!"

Henry patted the young man's shoulder. He doubted the man was speeding – or at least not by much or the woman's body would have been hurled farther than it was. "Sometimes things happen that we can't control. It was unfortunate, but the woman did a brave thing. Follow me to the station after the ambulance arrives so I can get your statement."

Sarah had returned in time to hear the sheriff's remark. "It was my fault. I was listenin' to music. Daddy told me not to when I was ridin'. I meant to take the headset off but my favorite song was playing. I'm sorry!" Tears fell down her cheeks and she knelt down to touch the woman's face and hair. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I won't do it again. I promise!" she said with a shake of her head.

Lorianna reached her free hand up to stroke the child's cheek to wipe away the tears. "I am glad you are safe, little one."

Sarah blinked and looked up at her father. "She talks pretty, daddy, but I don't understand her."

"I don't think she's from around here, baby." Her clothing too was oddly out of place, reminding him somewhat of Peter Pan, though in shades of brown with golden accentuating trim. The material was looked thick but not coarse. The top was similar to a tank in design but had a split collar that came halfway up her neck and what appeared to be somewhat stiff looking shoulder flaps that protected the top of her shoulders. She had a gold, intricately woven band on her upper left arm that matched the belt at her waist. She had what appeared to be two eight inch long flashlights attached to her belt, though he couldn't see how they were attached. Her pants were form fitted and her boots came up mid thigh, with what appeared to be some kind of golden colored thin armor plating that was strapped to the front of her legs up to her knees.

He heard Tommy's car approaching and looked up to see him running over.

"What happened, Joel? Sarah said some nice angel saved her and got ran over by a car." He looked down at the woman in question and his mouth fell open. "She didn't say how hot she was."

"Shut up, Tommy!" Joel growled.

"She doesn't feel hot, Uncle Tommy," Sarah told him after feeling her forehead. "Sweaty, but not hot."

Tommy's brows rose. His brother had leaned protectively over the woman. That was telling and not like Joel at all. His brother had the occasional dalliance, but he was certainly never protective of them. He'd never wanted to risk Sarah becoming attached to someone that would walk away from them as her mother had done when she was a baby. He couldn't help but noticed he was holding the woman's hand. That wasn't like Joel either. Maybe he was just comforting a hurt woman or maybe her saving Sarah caused his big brother to finally feel something. He suspected it was the latter, because Joel had never been known for his soft bedside manner, except for when it came to Sarah. "So, that's the way of it?"

Joel frowned at his brother, his gaze narrowing on him. He was backing him into a corner, forcing him to declare her off limits. But if he didn't he had little doubt Tommy would do his damndest to seduce her. For some reason that thought irritated the hell out of him. "Do you have a problem with that, little brother?" he asked softly.

Tommy looked back down at the beautiful blonde with the intriguing golden eyes. He tore his eyes from her to look at his brother. "With anyone else I would say no, but…if you don't pursue her, so help me, Joel, I will."

He felt the urge to slam his fist into Tommy's jaw. As he started to rise he felt her squeeze his hand. He lowered himself back down to his knee. He glanced at his daughter and forced his language to be neutral. "For crying out loud, Tommy – she's just been hit by a car! And we don't know anything about her. She might not want anything to do with either of us," he pointed out.

Tommy folded his arms over his chest, surprised his brother had been able to keep his cool, almost as if he didn't want to let go of the woman. He bit back a smile and goaded his brother. "I know enough. I know that she risked her life to save my niece – _your_ daughter… and that is not the kind of woman you let walk away without a fight. And if you don't intend to fight for her, then I will." He might have said the words to give Joel a push but he meant every last word. Even injured and pale she took his breath away.

"Stay away from her, Tommy. I won't tell you again," he warned his younger brother.

Tommy held up his hands with a grin. "So long as you do your part, big brother, I won't interfere."

The grownups were making no sense, but that was nothing new. They didn't make sense a lot of the time. "But, daddy, why does Uncle Tommy have to stay away from the angel?"

He wasn't quite sure how to explain it to his baby girl. "It's not like that, baby girl. Your uncle and I were just settling something between us. Nothing for you to worry about." That was when he heard the other siren and realized the woman's grip had steadily been tightening. Had she heard the siren before him? "Relax, Angel," he said using the name his daughter had called her because he didn't know what else to call her. "The paramedics are here. They are going to take you to the hospital and care for your injuries."

She had been as confused as the little girl about what the men were talking about. Pursue her? Fight for her? She didn't need anyone fighting for her; she could take care of herself – though, admittedly, it probably didn't look like it now. But she did know what a hospital was and she did not want to go to a cold, sterile place of impersonal strangers. And what if tests proved she was not like them? They looked human, but there could be differences on a genetic level. "No, I do not need such a place. I will heal on my own."

"Look, daddy," Sarah said pointing to the weapons on the woman's belt with a brilliant smile on her face, "the pretty angel is a jedi."

Joel glanced up at Tommy and then back to his daughter. "I think someone has been watching too many Star Wars movies lately. Jedi don't exist, baby girl. They are only characters actors' play in the movies. You know movies aren't real, Sarah. Remember us talking about that?" he asked gently.

Sarah nodded with an exaggerated bob of her head. "Movies aren't real, they are make-believe. Pretend. But the angel is real, daddy. She has lightsabers." When she reached out to touch one the angel lifted her free hand and waved her away. "See? She doesn't want me touching it because it's a lightsaber and it's dangerous."

"I think those are just flashlights, baby." He looked up at Tommy. "I need you to keep Sarah for awhile. I'm going to go to the hospital with her and try to see if I can find out where her family is. I will call you if it gets too late."

Tommy nodded. "Come on, Sarah…I'll race you to my car," he teased with a grin.

Sarah looked down at her angel and kissed her forehead. "You'll be okay soon, Angel." She jumped up and ran for her uncle's car, her giggles carrying back to them.

"Hey! You never said 'go'!" Tommy whined as he chased after her.

The paramedics pulled up a bed with a body board on top of it. "We need you to step back now, sir."

She gripped his hand tighter. "I don't want to go." When she tried to get up he pushed her back down.

"Let them help you, Angel. I'll go with you. I'll make sure you're going to be okay."

She frowned and nodded. She let her hand slip from his. Jedi did not exist here, but it was apparent that at least one had been here and if so, maybe she could find them and get back home. But how? She knew nothing of this place and no one understood her. That meant she was going to have to learn the language here. Two men lifted her just high enough to place her on the board and secure her with some kind of loud, sticky fabric. She swallowed hard and forced herself to remain calm even though everything inside her told her to fight to be free. The board was lifted up onto a wheeled bed and she then was lifted into the back of a large vehicle.

"I'll need you to come down to the office at some point to make a statement," Henry told him.

Joel nodded. "I'll do that when I can, Henry. Right now…I need to be with Angel." When the sheriff nodded and returned to his car he turned and stepped up into the back of the ambulance.

She exhaled breath she hadn't realized she was holding when the dark haired man with the trim beard stepped up into the vehicle with her. She smiled at him when he took her hand again.

The medic pulled out a chart. "What's her name?"

Joel blinked. If he told him he didn't know then they would not allow him to remain with her; only family had a right to be with a patient. "Angel Stanton." It was his maternal grandmother's maiden name.

"Date of birth?" he asked.

"September twenty-" He'd been about to give his own birthday on the twenty sixth. "-fourth, 1989." She looked about Tommy's age, few years younger than him, but not too young for him. He blinked at where his thoughts had taken him. Damn Tommy for putting ideas into his head.

"Address?" he asked.

Joel gave him his address just for simplification.

"Your name is?" he asked.

"Joel Ethan Miller," he replied.

"Your relationship with the patient?" he asked.

Now that was the kicker. He considered claiming her as his cousin, but that would certainly leave the door open for his brother and he didn't doubt for a moment what his brother's intensions would be. He couldn't very well claim boyfriend, because that was not considered family and he would not be able to stay with her. He swallowed hard. "She's my wife." His brother was going to tease him to no end if he found that out.

The paramedic lifted a brow. "She goes by Stanton?"

Joel rubbed his beard with his free hand. "We're newlyweds and have not gotten all the legal paperwork completed to change her name yet."

The paramedic nodded. "So you will be responsible for the bill?"

Joel nodded. "Of course." He owed that to her.

"Can you tell me exactly what happened to your wife, sir?"

He explained to him how his wife had gone across the street to admire a mirror the neighbor was restoring, how his daughter had headphones on riding her bike and wasn't paying attention to traffic and how Angel had thrown their daughter away from the car and was hit in the process.

Wife. Why had he told the medic that she was his wife? Were women not free in this place? Or were hospitals strict on who they allowed to see the patient? He obviously had a reason for saying what he'd said. She didn't understand but felt only comfort coming from him so decided she would trust that he had only her best interest in mind. Not that anyone could understand her anyway. She squeezed his hand. "Come here."

He looked down at her and smiled. It was a good thing she didn't understand him or she'd probably slap him for the liberties he'd just taken. He leaned towards her when she murmured something to him. He wouldn't understand her any better by getting closer, but it was a force of habit to lean in to hear better. He was surprised when her fingers caressed his cheek and then slid around to sink into the hair at the nape of his neck to pull him closer. He felt the warmth of her breath fan across his lips and sucked in a breath when his body responded to her nearness.

She wanted him to know she was willing to play the part he'd given her. And since he could not understand her she knew of only one way to let him know she understood. While marriage and relationships were not forbidden, they were monitored closely to make sure that emotions were kept in check and more training offered if needed. "Kiss your wife," she murmured softly.

His body shivered at her husky words and when he saw her tongue peek out to moisten her upper lip he gave in with a groan and captured her parted lips. Her fingers curled into his hair and her soft moan fanned the flames of desire into an inferno he'd never experienced the likes of before.

She'd only kissed a few men before but it was nothing like this. She knew she was out of her depths the moment his tongue stroked hers. She was drowning in the kiss and didn't want to come up for air. She didn't hear the medic clear his throat, but when the fast beeping machine set off an alarm it broke through the fog.

"Do you need me to floor it?" the driver asked in concern.

The medic chuckled. "No, it was just one hell of a kiss. Newlyweds," he said with a shake of his head. "I barely remember what that was like."

The driver laughed. "She gets hit by a car and then makes out with her husband in the back of an ambulance – doesn't look like nothin's gonna hold her back."

Joel pulled back enough to drop his forehead to hers to give himself a moment to calm down. His breathing was harsh and it felt like his heart would burst from his chest. It was obvious she too had been overwhelmed by what should have been a simple kiss. His thumb caressed a pattern on her cheek as he collected himself. He brushed his lips over hers and pulled back to look into her warm, honey eyes that were still clouded with passion. Breath slipped out of him in a soft pant. He had to reign in the need to kiss her again. What did you say to someone that just tilted your entire world? Especially someone you were already supposed to be married to. "Kiss me like that again and I might have to join you on that bed," he said with a wicked grin.

She could feel the heat bloom in her cheeks. Her hand slid from his neck to his cheek, the short hairs of his beard tickled her palm as she ran her thumb across his lips. "Kiss me like that again, Joel, and I might let you."

All he understood was his name, but the words were soft and tender. That and her touch told him she wanted him to kiss her again. And now he realized what Tommy already knew – he would pursue her, he would fight for her affection because he wanted her in their lives. If Sarah's kiss to Angel's forehead proved anything it was that she wanted her in their lives too. He, Tommy, Mama Nell and Papa Will were the only people Sarah had ever kissed.

-BREAK ONE-

He sat back on the bench when the ambulance pulled into the emergency entrance and released her hand so they could wheel her out. He jumped down and followed them into the ER. A doctor and two nurses were running towards them. They talked with the medics as they wheeled her into a curtained off area. The nurses reached to unbuckle her boots and she began to struggle.

"We need to remove the metal you're wearing so we can get x-rays," the nurse told her.

She didn't want them touching her weapons. She pointed to Joel. "Let Joel do it."

"I'll take care of it," he said matter of fact. The nurse shrugged and moved aside. A quick look at the buckles showed they were standard in nature. He unbuckled them, pulled off her boots and slipped them into a large bag one of the nurses held up for him. When he reached for her belt she took his finger and settled it next to what looked like a button to push and shook her head. He nodded to show his understanding. Don't push the button. He doubted he would need a flashlight in a bright hospital anyway. He gently pulled at the flashlight to figure out how it was attached to the belt. There didn't appear to be any hooks or fasteners. He tugged a bit harder and it pulled away from the belt. He could feel the magnetic pull and grinned. Mystery solved. He slipped it into the bag and second one quickly joined its mate. Her belt was an intricate looping of gold, reminding him of celtic knots that ended in what looked to be a smooth, gold cat's head. It only took him a moment to figure out the belt's fastening. He gently slid it out from under her and then removed the matching armband. He pulled her hair back to see if she was wearing earrings, but she wasn't - in fact, they were not even pierced. He saw a golden cat face peering from the 'V' of her short neck collar and added it to the bag. He then took the bag from the nurse.

He followed as they wheeled her down to the x-ray room and took a seat while he waited for them to come out. A minute later a nurse returned.

"Your wife does not appear to speak English, do you know if she is pregnant?"

He just blinked. "I don't know," he admitted.

The nurse nodded. "That's fine; it's just something we need to be note in the paperwork before we can proceed. Do you know when her last cycle was?"

Of course not. "A couple of weeks ago if I remember correctly."

"Do you use birth control?" she asked matter of fact.

"No." While he had no idea if she was on birth control, he figured it was best to error on the side of caution.

The nurse nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Miller. We'll be out shortly."

He pulled out one of her flashlights to examine it while he waited. There was no glass and no light bulb. In fact, it looked more like a candle stick holder. He looked down the hall and saw a bathroom sign. He knew he shouldn't click the button, she'd asked him not to, but he also knew he would do it. Nothing about the handle made any sense. He slipped it back into the bag and hurried to the rest room. Once inside he locked the door behind him and sat the bag in the sink. He pulled out the handle and held it up and away from his face. Here goes nothing. He depressed the button and it took more force than he'd expected, but that made sense if you didn't want any accidental firings. There was a deep hiss-hum noise and a golden light sprang from the handle. He forced his hand to grip it tighter because he'd reflexively tried to drop it. His mouth dropped open in shock. Damned if Sarah hadn't been right. It did appear to be a lightsaber.

He brought his hand closer to the glowing, golden blade until he could feel the heat from it bathing his palm. How had she made such a thing? It shouldn't be possible. If it was a laser the light would have continue on for quite a distance and yet it was only about three feet long. As much as he wanted to swing it to see what it felt like he switched it off and put it back into the bag. He would have had a hard time explaining how he burned the bathroom walls if he had given in temptation and played with it.

He returned to his seat. It was apparent that she somehow knew at least most of what he was saying yet she was unable to speak English. That was the first he needed to focus on. Questions could wait – they needed to be able to communicate. Now he wished he'd have kept some of Sarah's first books rather than donate them. He glanced at the door and then hurried over to the nurse's station. "Do you sell gifts? Children's books maybe?"

The nurse's brows drew together. "There might be a few, but not here in the ER. You'd need to take the elevator up to the main lobby," she said as she pointed the elevator out to him.

"Thanks," he said as he hurried to the elevator. He exited when the doors opened and he saw the gift shop on the left. He quickly scanned the isles until he found the young children's section. He'd nearly given up finding the type of book he was looking for when he finally found it. He flipped it open to see pictures of items with their names listed below it. Perfect – at least to start off with. He purchased the book, slipped it into the bag and nearly ran back to the elevator. He made it back in time to see them wheeling her out of x-ray and into another room.

He followed them into the room. The fact that she was now in a room and not a curtained area concerned him. "Did you find anything?" he asked in a strained voice.

The doctor slipped the x-ray film onto a lighted panel. "Your wife has a stable pelvic fracture of the left lower ilium." He took a pen and ran the lid of it along the fracture to show him where it was located. "A nurse will be performing an ultrasound to see if there is damage to any of the organs. We will discuss her treatment when we know more about the extent of her injuries." He left the film on the light and turned around to talk to one of the nurses when he saw the extensive bruising covering the left side of her pelvis and hip area. "That's not possible," he mumbled. The bruise should have been red and swollen at the most, but it was purple as if it were three to four days old.

Joel stepped around a nurse and took her hand. Her shirt was still closed at the top, but opened half way down and fell to the sides and her pants were lowered to the pubic line. The muscles in her belly were tight and he could feel her hard grip on his hand. Something was obviously bothering her, but he had no way of finding out what it was. The bruise on her hip was about eight inches long and a little over four inches wide. He was surprised to see how dark it was.

The doctor slipped on a fresh pair of gloves and shooed the nurse away. He would be doing this ultrasound. At least the nurse already had her prepped for him. He angled the monitor. He slowly rolled the wand over her lower abdomen, stopping occasionally to take measurements or make a note. There was blood in the cavity but he could not find where it had come from. Outside of the blood, her organs appeared to be healthy. There was no sign of continued bleeding. When he completed the exam he rose and removed his gloves, tossing them in trash.

He ignored the nurse wiping away the gel. "I don't understand what I saw. Her bruise is at least three to four days in the healing cycle. There is blood in her pelvic and lower abdominal cavities – more than there should have been for a normal bruise. Yet, I could find no evidence of continued bleeding and all of her organs appear to be in top shape. Whatever had been damaged appears to have also healed." He rubbed his forehead. He couldn't help but wonder if the fracture was also healing rapidly. "While I would like her to stay overnight to monitor her condition, I see no medical reason to admit her." He shook his head. "She will need more bed rest and less activity for at least the next couple of weeks to make sure no further damage is done to her pelvis, but crutches are a good way for her to get some exercise. It will heal in a few weeks, but physiotherapy will be needed for her to regain pre-injury range of motion. He took out a small pad and wrote out a prescription. He tore it off and handed to the nurse that had returned with a wheelchair to have it filled. "You may wait out in the waiting room for painkillers and crutches. See the receptionist at the front about the bill."

He watched the doctor leave scratching his head and then returned his attention to Angel. He released her hand so that she could pull her pants up. She winced with the band settled on her bruise. She then sat up slowly and swung her legs over the side of the table. When he noticed her hands were shaking he stepped between her legs and fastened her shirt up the diagonal seam and smoothed the material back over the fastenings, hiding them behind it. He gently brushed her pale, honey blonde hair back from her face and brushed his fingertips along her cheek. "Do you have family or friends here?" he asked quietly.

"No," she said with a shake of her head and poked his chest gently. "Just you." She had intended to pull her hand away, but it seemed to have a mind of its own and flattened against his chest. She could feel the comforting beat of his heart beneath her palm.

"Do you have a home here? A place to stay?" When she shook her head again he nodded. "Are you willing to come back home with me? You shouldn't be alone right now." Regardless whether she had a place he would have asked her anyway.

Her gaze fell to the ground. How could she tell him she didn't want to be a burden to him? But where would she go if she didn't agree?

She had no place to go yet she seemed reluctant. He gently tilted her chin up, but she still kept her eyes averted. "Angel…look at me." When her golden eyes met his one corner of his mouth pulled up into a lopsided smile. "I want you to come home with me. Sarah would want that too. Let us be there for you like you were there for us," he said softly. With her nod his smile widened. He leaned in and grazed his lips against hers before he moved to her right side and slipped one arm beneath her thighs, the other at her back and carefully lifted her up against him and lowered her into the chair.

He pulled out her boots, buckled them back on and then settled the bag with her jewelry and weapons on her lap. He stepped in behind her and wheeled her out the door to the front desk. He gave the receptionist his license for scanning when she asked him to and was told a bill would be sent to him. With a nod he wheeled her out next to a corner chair. He sat down, spread his legs and pulled her chair in close until her knees nearly touched his chair. "Give me a moment." He pulled out his Samsung Impression and quick-dialed his brother. "Hey, Tommy. How's Sarah?"

"Fretting about Angel – it's been hard keeping her distracted," he admitted.

"Let her know Angel will be fine. She has a hip fracture and bruising, but it will heal in a few weeks. She just needs to take it easy for awhile."

"I'm guessing you two are ready to be picked up?" he inquired.

"We are. We should have the prescription and crutches by the time you arrive."

"Does she live nearby?" Tommy asked curiously.

"She doesn't have any place to go. She'll be staying with us."

"I have an extra room-"

There was no way in hell he would he let that happen. "Tommy, no. She will be staying with us," he said firmly.

Tommy chuckled. "There's no hope for me is there?"

"Not even a little," he said grimly.

Tommy gave Sarah a thumbs up and grinned like an idiot. "It's about damned time," he teased his brother. "We'll be there soon. Bye."

Joel looked at his phone and sighed before shoving it back into his pocket. He leaned towards her. "Do you have any children?"

"No," she said with a shake of her head.

"Will you want to have children some day?" he asked before he realized how forward and personal the question was. That was a question he'd mulled over a lot in the last few years. He loved his baby girl and with the right woman he would love to have more children. He might have missed out on going to college since they'd had Sarah so young, but she had been the light in his life and he wouldn't give up fatherhood for anything.

She had always been so busy she really couldn't do anything more than dream about having a family. Few in her line of work had children until injury or retirement gave them freedom from the fight. But this place was different. She couldn't sense any others like her and she had no way to get back home. Here she could retire. Here she was free to live a dream. "Yes," she replied with a nod of her head.

"Do you have a husband or a boyfriend?" He could not have stopped that question from slipping out if he wanted to. He doubted she would have kissed him like she had if she did, but he needed to know.

Lorianna grinned and pointed to him. "You," she teased.

He chuckled. "I hoped you would say that." He took her hand between his and decided to take the plunge. With the kiss they'd shared his odds were good. "Would you be interested in seeing me on a regular basis?"

She tilted her head in confusion. She was going home with him, didn't that construe with seeing him on a regular basis?

It was obvious she didn't quite understand what he meant. "By seeing me I meant romantically. Dating…movies…dinner…holding hands…starlight walks…"

She smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "You're my husband, you had better romance me," she teased.

While he wasn't sure what she'd said her tone was promising. And since he'd been asking questions about her he figured she had the right to know about him. He wasn't sure what she would want to know, but he figured he'd start with the basics. "My name is Joel Ethan Miller. I was born and raised here. Tommy is my younger brother. When I was a kid I thought I'd play my guitar and sing, but Sarah - well…was not exactly planned. I ..uh…got my girlfriend pregnant when we were sixteen. We married when we turned seventeen and she moved into my room. My parents helped out a lot when Sarah was born. We were both able to graduate high school. Not long after that my parents were killed in a plane crash and Becky decided she couldn't handle being a full time mother. I came home from work, we had a fight and she walked out. Three years later a policeman showed up at the door with a hand delivered divorce petition. I had to hire Mama Nell to watch Sarah after my parents died, so that Tommy could go to school. A couple of years ago he graduated and moved out. Tommy and I have our good days and our bad days, but he's my baby brother and I love him – though I don't suppose I tell him as often as I should." He cleared his throat. He wasn't used to talking about his life with anyone, but she was going to be staying with him and she would notice there were no pictures of Sarah's mom and she would notice the tension between him and Tommy at times and he felt it best to just lay it on the line.

He was surprised when she removed her hand from his and stood up on one leg. He quickly took hold of her and pulled her onto his lap, with her weight resting on her right hip. "You were supposed to stay in the chair," he grinned and that completely ruined his stern rebuke. "But I can hardly complain when I like you right where you are."

She slid her hand up his chest to the back of his head and pulled him down for a kiss. She couldn't tell him how she felt about what he told her, but maybe she could show him. She could tell by his tone that he was not used to talking about himself. That he did warmed her heart, just as the tragedies he faced broke it. She'd learned a long time ago that few people had an easy life and an even rarer few ever got what they deserved.

"Well, well…would you look at that," Tommy teased when he saw the woman in his brother's arms.

She pulled back and buried her heated face in Joel's neck.

Sarah giggled. "You're kissing Angel, daddy!"

Joel smiled at his daughter. "You're right, baby girl. You caught me." Before she could touch Angel's hip he put his hand out between her and his daughter. "Angel hurt her hip so we need to be careful not to touch it."

"Mr. Miller," the nurse said as she approached. Both men turned their heads to look at her.

"Can you please hand those to Tommy?" he asked the nurse.

The nurse handed the bag and crutches to the younger man. "Your wife can take one pill every four to six hours on a full stomach, but no more than that." She blinked when the young man broke out in laughter. "If her condition worsens bring her back immediately."

Joel rose slowly to his feet so he wouldn't jar her and shot his brother a sour look, which only caused his brother to laugh harder. "Thank you, ma'am" he told the nurse. "I'll be sure to do that. Sorry about my brother, I think he must have been dropped on his head one too many times as a baby." His lips twitched at the nurse's grin. "Sarah, baby, grab Angel's bag, but be careful with it."

"Okay, daddy. I'll be careful with it. I wouldn't want the lightsabers to go off," she said with a smile as she carefully picked up the bag.

He sighed and followed his wildly laughing brother out the door, his daughter at his side.

Tommy placed the crutches in the trunk and opened the back seat for Joel and then went around to open the door for Sarah. When Joel joined him in the front seat he started the car. "Seat belts," he reminded Sarah.

"Angel can't use one right now so drive carefully, little brother," he warned him.

"Come on, big brother, I'm always careful." Once they were on the road he shot a quick grin at his brother. "Bet your lap is lonely without your beautiful wife on it," he teased. "Kinda hurt you didn't bother inviting me to the wedding, considering I'm your brother and all."

He'd known his brother wouldn't be able to pass up ribbing him. "Maybe I thought you'd think it was too soon and try to stop us," he replied dryly.

"You're kidding me, right? I'd have popped the damned cork myself!" The smiled slipped from his face. "You've been alone long enough, Joel – you need someone. Sarah does too and I personally think Angel is perfect for you," he said in a far more serious tone.

Joel just blinked. "I didn't want Sarah to get hurt," he said quietly.

Tommy frowned. "Sarah wants you to find someone that makes you happy. Maybe she wants a mother…I don't know. What I do know is she doesn't want you to keep using her as an excuse to avoid taking a risk. She's stronger than you think, Joel. She's eight years old – she's not a baby anymore."

His brother's words were like daggers to his heart. If Sara felt that way why hadn't she talked to him about it? He'd tried to make sure they were close, that she'd know she could come to him about anything and he would be there for her. "Once you have a little girl, you'll understand. She will always be my baby girl – and what do you mean perfect for me? You said you intended to pursue her yourself."

Tommy grinned. "I would have if you didn't. I told you she was too good to let slip away without a fight. But I also wanted to give you the push that you needed to open your eyes and see what I already saw. It was obvious you had no intension of letting me make a move on her. You were looking at me like one of Higgins' dobermans protecting his steak. Don't think I didn't notice that she was the one that kept you from taking my head off."

He stared out the window watching the houses slip by. He hadn't realized he was being overly protective of Angel, but he could see it now when he looked back on it. He had wanted her and he had been ready to fight for her, he just hadn't realized he'd already staked his claim. And all it had taken was a squeeze of her hand to bring him back to his knees and calm his anger at his brother. Until now, only Sarah had been able to reach him at that level. To know that someone else could was daunting.

Sarah took Angel's hand. "I won't tell anybody else that you're a jedi. Not even my friends. I wouldn't want bad men to come and take you away from us."

Lorianna blinked. Bad men would come and take her away just for being different? What kind of place was this? "Thank you."

She tilted her head and her pale blonde brows crinkled in confusion. "I wish I understood what you were saying, Angel."

Lorianna squeezed her hand. "Yes, Sarah."

The little girl beamed a smile. "I understood that! I know you need to learn our language so people can understand you, but I want to learn yours too. Can you teach me?"

She nodded. "Yes."

She'd heard angel being called her daddy's wife. "Are you going to be my mommy?"

Lorianna blinked. It was one thing to tease Joel about him making her his wife, but Sarah deserved a clarification she didn't have the words for.

Joel turned sideways in his seat to look back at his daughter. "Why don't you wait and see if she even likes us before having me drag her down the aisle," he said with a grin.

Sarah pursed her lips and frowned at her father. "She likes us, daddy." She looked over at Angel. "You like us, don't you?"

Lorianna nodded. "Yes, Sarah. Yes, Joel. Yes, Tommy."

Sarah shook her head. "That's silly. You can't marry Uncle Tommy and daddy."

"She's not marrying your Uncle Tommy!" Joel said a little more stern than he'd intended. He cleared his throat. The words had come out before he could stop them. It wasn't even his call to make.

"Well – she could," Tommy teased. In truth, he didn't know if he could pursue her now, even if Joel got cold feet. This time things were different. Angel meant something to his brother. And if he didn't love her already there was no doubt in his mind that his brother would be falling head over ass soon enough. That was a line he did not need to cross.

"Shut up, Tommy!" he warned.

Tommy snickered. His brother had always been so serious, at least since Sarah was born, and he couldn't help but needle him, even if it did occasionally end with fists flying. It was worth it.

Adults were so strange. "If she's not marrying Uncle Tommy, then she can marry you? You said to wait and see if she likes us and she does," she pointed out.

Joel's mouth opened and closed but no words came out. "I – uh…" He cleared his throat and looked at a grinning angel. Since she couldn't say anything they'd understand he was on his own with this one. He slid his gaze back to his daughter. "Why all this talk of marriage, baby?"

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Because you like each other. Because she looks at you like your cake and you look at her like she's ice cream and everyone knows that cake and ice cream belong together. You should get married…she would be my mommy...you'd give me brothers and sisters and we'd all live happily ever after," she stated with a serious nod.

Tommy laughed hysterically when his brother choked, his hand slapping the steering wheel. "Sarah does need more brothers and sisters," he managed to wheeze out between peals of laughter.

He felt his cheeks heat up. "Maybe Angel wants more out of her life than staying here with us," he pointed out. He knew he shouldn't put it on her, but he was way out of his element. "I mean, she will stay with us while she recovers, but maybe she has something she wants to do after that." There – that answer was more than logical.

Sarah blinked. Why were adults always so complicated? It seemed like they always had to try to make things harder than they needed to be. She looked up at Angel. "Do you have something you need to do after you are all better?"

Lorianna bit her lip. She didn't know anything about this place except for these amazing people. She honestly had no idea what she would do after she recovered. For the first time in her life she had no direction, no mission and no idea how to proceed. That wasn't a reason to get married, but it would also be hard to walk away from them. She was illogically attached to them. She shook her head. "No." There was more she would say, but she had no way of communicating.

"See, daddy? Angel has nothing she needs to do so she can stay here with us."

Tommy grinned. He almost felt sorry for his big brother…almost. Sarah, like Joel, had a stubborn streak a mile wide. That particular apple did not fall far from the tree.

-BREAK TWO-

Of course she could stay with them. That was a given. He wasn't about to send her out into the streets with nothing but a fond wave farewell. That he didn't want her to go was beside the point. "Of course she can, baby girl." He turned his head to study Angel. He searched her eyes for something…anything. There was a humor, softness and warmth in their depths that drew him in and he was completely unaware that he was smiling. "She can stay as long as she wants, but why don't we hold off on the marriage just yet, baby. When I get married I want it to be forever this time. So why don't wait and see if forever is going to work? I'd much rather stroll down the aisle with a smiling bride rather than drag her down it kicking and screaming." He grinned. "Who knows, maybe she will hate the way I roll the tube of toothpaste or the direction the toilet paper rolls. Or maybe I will snore too loud and she will want to run for the beach just to bury her head in the sand so she doesn't have to hear it."

Sarah patted Angel's hand and then folded her arms over her chest. "You're just being silly, daddy. You don't snore like that."

Lorianna closed her eyes and made loud snoring noises until it caused her to choke.

Joel groaned at her bad rendition of snoring. "See? I might be the one running to bury my head in the sand if she snores like that," he teased with a wink to Angel.

"Doubt it," Tommy scoffed. "I think it'd take a hell of a lot more than snoring for you to shove her out of your bed. If I'm wrong I'll eat my hat."

Joel tousled his brother's longer hair. "You don't even wear a hat."

Tommy's lips twitched. It had been some time since his brother had touched him with affection. It was nice to see his brother unwind and just be…happy. There was no doubt how much Joel loved and cherished his daughter, but there'd always been a shadow hanging over him. Maybe it was from the weight of carrying the world on his shoulders or maybe it had been there because he was lonely in a place his daughter and he couldn't reach. Right now there was no sign of that shadow. It was as if it had been banished. "I'd buy one just to eat it, mark my words."

He pulled into the drive and turned off the car. He smiled at his brother. "Will you be carrying your wife over the threshold or will she be using crutches?"

Joel let out a slow breath and looked at his brother, a small smile on his face. "I'm never going to live that down, am I?"

"Nope. Never." Tommy said with a shake of his head.

"I'll carry her in," he told him.

Tommy elbowed his brother's arm. "You just like holding her."

"Maybe I do," Joel mumbled as he got out of the car.

Tommy opened Sarah's door. "I'll unlock the door for you and come back out for her things." He hurried to the door to unlock it. He stepped in and held the door open. When they passed him he returned to his car to grab Angel's bag and crutches. He closed the door when he entered the house. He then laid her crutches against the wall and set her bag down on the table near the door. He pulled her prescription out and set it on the coffee table in front of the sofa she was sitting on. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Welcome to the family, Angel. If my brother has a lick of sense he'll make sure you never want to leave."

Joel frowned as he handed Angel a glass of water. "Try not to scare her away, Tommy, she only just got here," he said as he tapped two pills into the palm of his hand and held them out to her.

Tommy looked at Angel. There was a quiet strength about her even though he knew she was in pain. "I doubt she scares that easily."

She swallowed the pills with water. "I don't."

"And maybe one day I'll know what she's saying," Tommy quipped as he settled in the overstuffed rocker/recliner.

Joel nudged his daughter with his elbow. "Can you please get the book out of Angel's bag?"

Sarah retrieved the book and read the title. " _My Little Book of Things_. Nice, dad." She handed her dad the book and sat down next to him.

Heat bloomed in his cheeks. "I was hoping it would help her learn a few English words." He settled the book on his lap and then lifted his arm so that angel could get closer. He smiled when she curled up on her right side and snuggled into him. The book contained pictures and corresponding words for items found in and around the house, to include people and pets. He pointed to each picture, told her what it was and had her repeat it to him. When she completed the book he quizzed her and then he had her point to things to tell him what they were.

"Glass," she said pointing to the glass on the table. She pointed down into the glass, "water." She pointed to the table, "table." She pointed to the sofa, "couch-sofa."

"Couch OR sofa, either one is correct."

She nodded. She pointed to Sarah, "Sarah girl."

"Sarah IS a girl."

She nodded and pointed to Joel, "man." She pointed to herself, "girl."

"Not quite." He pointed to Sarah, "girl." He pointed to himself, "man." He pointed to Angel, "woman." He then pointed to Tommy, "boy."

He grinned when Tommy scowled at him.

Lorianna laughed. Brothers were the same everywhere. She didn't have any, but she grew up around siblings. She pointed to each of them, "Girl. Man. Woman. Man." She was feeling good right now. Her pain was gone and she was feeling light and free.

"Thank you, ma'am," Tommy replied with a wide smile.

She put her hand on his thigh and pinched a small bit of material. "Pants." She slid her hand up to his belt. "Belt," she said as she gave it a slight tug. She heard him release a breath and giggled. She fingers slipped over the band of his pants trailed up to circle his navel, "belly button," she said with a playful flick of her finger. She skimmed over his abdominal muscles, enjoying the play of them beneath her touch and grasped the material covering them, "shirt." She splayed her hand across his ribs and skimmed upwards until the tight peak of his nipple grazed the tip of her finger. She drew her fingernail across the tight bud, "chest," she said in a throaty voice. Despite the fog of the medication, touching him was doing funny things to her insides.

"Are you going to survive, big brother?" Tommy teased.

"Maybe," Joel answered in a deep, soft voice.

She followed the buttons of his shirt to his neck, "neck." She ran her fingers over the hair on his jaw questioningly.

"Beard," he murmured.

"Beard," she repeated softly and followed the beard to his ear. She drew her finger along the edge of his ear, "ear."

"Daddy's not laughing, Uncle Tommy. I'd be laughing if someone tickled my ear like that," Sarah said in surprise.

"I think your daddy has something else on his mind," Tommy said with a chuckle.

She sank her fingers through his hair and gave it a gentle tug, "hair." She drew her hand back and brushed her finger under his eye, "eye." She trailed it down to the tip of his nose, "nose." Her fingertip lowered to glide over his lips, "mouth," she said in a husky voice. She gently pulled at his lower lip, "lip." When his mouth opened in a pant her finger slipped between his lips, "tongue," she said in little more than whisper. His lips closed around her finger and she groaned when his tongue stroked and twirled around her finger.

"Ok," Tommy said as he stood up. "They're going to be kissing again. How about the two of us kick around the soccer ball?"

"Yes, Uncle Tommy – just try to catch me," Sarah said as she darted for the back door.

He smiled at his brother who was unaware of anything but the woman in his arms. Give her something worth staying for, big brother. He saluted their backs and hurried after Sarah.

When her finger slipped slowly from his mouth he pulled her against him and captured her lips with the hunger she'd built in him with her touches. With one arm around her back his other hand rested on her side well above her bruised hip. He felt her hand slide between them and the buttons of his shirt slowly opened beneath her fingers. She pulled his shirt from his pants to release the last of the buttons and then he felt her hand sliding over his skin, her fingers sending fires of heat spiraling through him as they explored him. His hand traveled up over her ribs. She moaned into the kiss when his thumb grazed the underside of her breast. Her soft moans fueled his desire and his hand lifted to cup her breast. He could barely feel the hard bud beneath the thick cloth.

He groaned when she pulled back but it only took him a moment to realize she was releasing the fastening of her odd tunic. He started with the bottom fastening and worked his way up. Their hands met in the middle and then she was kissing him again. He could feel the play of her muscles under silky, soft skin as his hand slid back over her ribs to cover her breast once more. She appeared to be wearing some king of binding sports bra. He slid his fingers down to the band and pulled it up over her breast. Her breasts sprang free of the binding and he groaned when he cupped her large breast, his thumb rolling the hard nub.

The honk of a car seeped through the fog of passion and he realized they were in the middle of the living room. He slipped his arm under her thighs and carefully picked her up. He cradled her against him as he carried her up the stairs to the room they would be sharing – unless, that is, she protested. He kicked the door closed, carried her over the bed and set her gently down in the middle of it. He slipped his shirt from his shoulders, removed his belt and stepped out of his shoes. He then unbuckled her boots and slid them off. By the time he was done she'd already removed her tunic and pulled off her bra. A ragged breath slipped from his lips as he lowered himself over her. He settled between her legs with a groan. He centered his weight on his fore arm and his knees to keep from damaging her hip. "You take my breath away," he murmured as his lips found hers. He was beyond caring if what they were doing was right or wrong. He would stop if she asked him to, but he would make slow, careful love to her if she let him.

He had hair on his upper chest and a thin trail leading down to the band of his pants. The feel of those hairs against her skin was exotic and electrifying. She moved against him to feel those hairs teasing her hard nipples. She whimpered when he broke the kiss but moaned again as his lips and tongue explored her neck, the texture of his closely trimmed beard wreaked havoc on her senses. She felt the warm fan of his breath across her nipple. A soft cry escaped when she felt the flick of his tongue followed by the heat of his mouth. Her fingers sank into his hair to hold him against her. His hand cupped her other breast and he rolled her nipped between his fingers, giving her two very different and pleasurable sensations.

She whimpered when her nipple slipped from his lips as his mouth continued its downward journey. She didn't know what he was doing, but it didn't matter. Her body was alive and sensitive to his every touch. She shivered when he dipped his tongue into her navel. When his fingers slipped under the band of her pants she raised her hips so he could pull them down.

He was surprised to see she had no thatch of hair between her legs. He would have thought that it would have made her look like a child, but there was nothing childish about her. Her soft folds were swollen and damp with desire. His hands slid up her inner thighs to spread them further for him. He swept his thumb across her hidden nub and she moved against him with a cry of pleasure. He separated her soft folds and rolled the swollen bud between his fingers. Her hips jerked and she cried out. He'd only been with a handful of women but none had responded to his touch like she did. He rubbed the beard on his chin against her before he took her into the heat of his mouth.

She nearly came off the bed with a strangled cry. Pleasure rippled through her body with each agile movement of his tongue. Nothing could have prepared her for what he was making her feel. When she felt his hand skim up the flat of her belly she reached out for him and laced her fingers through his. Her grip tightened when she felt herself teetering at brink of the unknown. She stiffened as the pleasure built up tight within her. A moment later the sensation burst free she soared into the abyss with a harsh cry of pleasure.

His thumb caressed her hand as he brought her down from the peak. With a final rub of his beard against her he raised up on his hand, crawled up her body and settled on his side. He rolled her onto her side and wrapped her in his arms. His lips found hers for a tender kiss. He groaned when he felt her hand slide down his belly to release the metal buttons on his jeans. He pulled back and brushed the pale honey hair from her cheek. "Are you sure?" he asked gently. A soft cry slipped from his lips when he felt the stroke of her fingers.

Until Joel, kissing was as far as she'd gone and only with a few men. It hadn't felt right until now. "I'm sure." His arousal was intriguingly hard yet silky soft at the same time. He slipped away from her and she watched as he lowered his pants over his hips and kicked them off. She held her hand out to him to let him know she was okay with it.

He took her hand and lowered himself over her. There was nothing he could do about the trembling of his body; he wanted to make love to her more than he wanted to breathe. He settled between her thighs, careful to keep his weight off her left hip. He rubbed his arousal against her slick folds after he claimed her lips. He found her hand and laced his fingers with hers. He felt the give of a barrier as he slid slowly into her tight, wet heat. He'd never been with a virgin before and it warmed his heart to know that he'd been the first man to touch her. The painkillers were doing their job since she didn't seem to feel the pain of his breach. He varied his movements until he found the spot that elicited soft cries of pleasure.

He could feel her stretch around him with each thrust of his hips. Her muscles molded to him like a second skin, heightening his pleasure beyond anything he'd ever felt before. Her nails bit into his back as she moved against him, driving him deeper with each powerful thrust of his hips. Were those her sounds pleasure? His? He couldn't even tell anymore. He'd never flown so high before and a small part of him wondered if he would survive the fall. But now he understood why they called it la petite mort. The ecstasy she was giving him was worth any price. When he felt her grip on his hand tighten he pulled back to look into her eyes. "I want to see the pleasure in your eyes when you come for me," he murmured.

The words were scarcely past his lips when she stiffened in his arms and her muscled clamped down around him. Pleasure tore through him and he catapulted over the edge with a guttural shout. His eyes bore into hers as he watched the pleasure take her. She rode him hard and he thought he'd die as her body milked the last of his seed from him.

He kissed her lips and dropped his damp forehead to hers, too overcome to say anything coherent just yet. When his breathing and heartbeat slowed to a bearable level, he rolled them onto their sides and carefully drew her thigh up over his hips because he wasn't ready to pull out of her heat. He gently brushed back her damp hair. "I don't even know how to describe what I'm feeling right now. You chose to give me the priceless gift of your innocence." His thumb caressed her cheek. "I will always cherish that gift. And the pleasure I found in your arms – it was so intense I thought I would die from it." He smiled softly at her. "And I was okay with that. Even now I cannot bear to leave the heat of your body. I would stay in this moment forever if I could."

He gently wiped the tears that slipped down her cheeks. He wasn't a man given to romantic pillow talk, or at least he never had been. Maybe feelings made a difference. He'd married his first wife because he'd felt he'd had to, but he never touched her – he could barely stand to look at her. Ams had been the closest thing to real love that he'd ever found. Right now he was feeling things he hadn't felt before. He'd found peace, contentment and happiness in the arms of an angel that had saved his daughter. He knew one thing for certain – he wasn't letting her go. He couldn't. He'd do whatever it took to keep her in his life.

There was so much she wanted to say to him. So much she needed to say and it frustrated her that she couldn't communicate well enough to him. "You are the only one I have wanted to make love with. You make me feel alive in a way I've never experienced. It was like I was going through life with my eyes closed. For the first time they are opened and I truly see. I was me and now I am we. I am home." She touched his cheek tenderly and repeated his last words slowly. "I would stay in this moment forever if I could."

He had no clue what the rest of her words were but the last bit caused his face to light up with a silly grin. Her accent was lilting, but beautiful. He wasn't sure how she undertood him, but she had since she'd first taken his hand. It appeared she could also repeat what she'd heard if it was relevant. Maybe she was good at picking up languages. "Do you pickup other languages easily?"

"Yes."

"Good," he said with a grin. "How many do you know?" She took his hand and lifted one finger up then she placed all ten of hers next to his. He chuckled. "Eleven languages and not English."

She shook her head. "Not English."

He studied her a moment. "You said you don't have anywhere to go…would you be happy here with us?"

She nodded and went back through the pictures she'd seen in the book. "I am house."

He just blinked. I am house? What- the…realization dawned on him. "I am home?" he asked, not realizing he was holding his breath.

"Yes!" she said with grin. "I am home."

He inhaled sharply and brushed his lips against hers. If she felt like she was home then she wouldn't want to leave him. "What is your real name, Angel?"

She laughed. She had wondered when he would ask. "Lorianna Amell."

"Lorianna is a very pretty name, but I will always see you as my angel." By calling her Angel he would always be reminded what she'd done for his daughter. "Will it bother you if I call you Angel?" And maybe someday he could do something about that last name of hers. Lorianna Miller had a much nicer ring to it. He pushed the thought aside. It was crazy for him to even be thinking about that yet.

She wasn't sure what the word meant, but it seemed to have a significant meaning to him. For her it was little more than an obscure race of reportedly beautiful women that inhabited moons of some far off planet called Iego. She was relieved it at least referred to beautiful women rather than bantha dung. "No," she said with a shake of her head. She pointed to his chest and then to hers and then she pointed to the bed.

"When you and I are in bed?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yes," she nodded. "When you and I are in bed my name is Lorianna or Lor." She pointed to the door. "When door my name is Angel."

He blinked. He understood the first part, when they were intimate she wanted him to use her real name, which was understandable. But – ahhh….outside the bedroom he could call her Angel. "I understand. When we are intimate I will call you Lorianna or Lor, outside that door I can call you my Angel."

-BREAK THREE-

A smile wreathed her face. "Yes!" There was still so much she couldn't tell him because she didn't have the words yet, but it was nice to have some basic communication with him. An overwhelming sense of danger struck her and she pulled back, groaning when he slipped out of her.

He sat up in a flash, concerned by the sharp look of dread on her face. When she threw her legs over the side of the bed and rose to her feet his hand shot out to capture her wrist. "Lor, sit down," he said, his voice uncompromising as he pulled her back down to the bed. Just because she didn't feel the pain right now didn't mean she wasn't damaging her hip.

Lorianna shook her head and pointed to the door. "Outside the door…"

The alarm in her voice worried him. "Is something wrong?"

She nodded emphatically. "Something wrong outside the door."

"Something is wrong – what is wrong?" How could she even know if anything was wrong?

She shook her head helplessly and tapped over her heart. "Something is wrong."

"Okay," he said and he got out of bed. He wasn't sure how she knew that, but he knew from past experience that once that feeling settled in it only got worse if nothing was done about it. He pulled his pants on and then grabbed a t-shirt from his drawer. He took out a pair of boxers he'd never worn. The elastic looked small enough that it would stay on her hips and he was thankful for the button that held the gap closed. He found her panties and handed the trio of garments to her. "Get dressed and I'll take you downstairs."

The clothes were on in record time and he scooped her up into his arms. He could hear an odd hum and his daughter's giggles as he descended the stairs. She stiffened in his arms and began to struggle to get down but he held her tighter. Tumbling down the stairs was not something he was itching to do.

"I will not fall to a jedi's blade!" Tommy declared as he slowly swung the blade to tap against Sarah's.

As soon as he reached the ground floor he realized the voices were coming from the back yard, having drifted in through an opened window. In a blink she's propelled herself from his arms to the back door. He caught up with her in time to see her hold out her hands. The lightsabers flew from his daughter's and brother's hands and into hers. His mouth fell open and he stumbled a step back, stunned by what he'd just witnessed. What she'd done was not even possible. He looked at his brother's shocked face and his daughter's smiling face.

Lorianna snapped the lightsabers off. "No!" She didn't know how to tell them how dangerous they were. She shook her head helplessly. "No…Is wrong." She held up the lightsabers. "Is wrong." She had been terrified for their safety and now, after revealing herself, she was concerned about her own safety. She didn't think they would hurt her, but they might cast her out. She turned around slowly and looked up at Joel, his face frozen in shock. "Am I still home?" she asked quietly.

He blinked as her words filtered through the cloud of disbelief. Damn it, she was standing again. He lifted her up in his arms and cradled her against him. "You're home," he said quietly. "But there is a lot we need to talk about…when you can." He had thought she was just a Star Wars fan who made or purchased replicas. But the reality of it was far more than he ever could have imagined. It was surreal and hard to believe even though he saw it happen. He settled her down on the sofa and held out his hands for her weapons. She only hesitated a moment. When he felt their weight in the palms of his hands he returned them to her bag and then turned on his brother.

Even though the danger was over adrenaline still raced through his body. "What the hell were you thinking, Tommy?"

Sarah looked up at her father and fidgeted. "It was my fault, daddy. I wanted to show Uncle Tommy the lightsabers to prove Angel was a jedi. He didn't believe me."

Tommy raked a hand through his dark blonde shoulder length hair. "I thought they were toys, Joel. I never would have let Sarah play with it if I had thought they were real. I mean, how could I have ever believed they were real? " He turned his head to meet Angel's eyes. "I'm sorry, Angel. I didn't know. Now that I know they are dangerous, it won't happen again. We won't touch them."

Lorianna lifted her hand over her racing heart. "They are dangerous." She had put them in danger and that didn't sit well with her. She should have found some way to warn them. This was her fault and she never could have forgiven herself if something had happened to either one of them.

Sarah sat down on the sofa next to Angel. "Will you forgive me, Angel? I was excited – I didn't think about what could happen."

She cupped the side of the little girl's face and tapped over her own heart. "Me fault."

Joel released a pent up breath and settled down next to her. He knew Tommy would never intentionally put Sarah in harm's way but it still irked him. "My fault," he corrected without thought. "And no it wasn't your fault. You had no way of telling us and you _did_ stop Sarah from touching them earlier. You did everything you could. They had no right to touch your belongings without your permission. The blame is theirs – not yours." Just as the blame would have been his if he'd caught the hospital's bathroom on fire.

Maybe so, but the fault was hers equally. She had not kept them with her. She had not made sure they were stored somewhere safe.

"I won't touch them again, Angel. I promise," Sarah said softly, her brows furrowed with worry. "Do you still like me?"

She smiled down into the little girls somber blue eyes and held out her arms to her. Warmth filled her when she felt the little girl's embrace and she hugged her close. "I still like you, Sarah." She pulled back, pointed to Sarah and tapped her fist over her own heart.

"You are in my heart," Joel murmured softly. Seeing them together made his heart flutter. They say the way to a parent's heart is through their child. He'd kept the few women he'd gone out with away from his daughter, so he wasn't sure how true that statement was. And he didn't think he cared about Angel just because she'd saved his daughter's life. It was true the act forged a bond between them, but at most it was a bond of friendship and appreciation. But something about Angel called out to him on a far deeper level and he couldn't help but wonder if the words he'd murmured to Angel had come from his own heart. He leaned down to kiss the top of her head.

Tommy could do little more than stare at his big brother who had a soft, dopey grin on his face, his eyes glowing with peace, warmth and love. He was staring at a stranger; seeing the man he could have been if their parents had not died and left him with the responsibility of taking care of a baby, a younger brother and paying the mortgage. He owed Angel for more than saving his niece; he owed her for breathing life back into his brother. It was obvious the two had slept together. It was also obvious that she was far more endowed than he had believed her to be. How had she hidden those magnificent breasts? He shook his head; Stop it, Tommy – you have no business going there. He watched as his brother kissed the top of Angel's head. Something he'd only ever seen him do with Sarah. Yup, his brother had it bad. He grinned and wondered how long it would take for his brother to realize he was tip over arse in love with Angel. Maybe he'd head down to Teiner's later and set up a wager.

Lorianna grinned and repeated the words she hadn't known how to say in English. "You are in my heart, Sarah."

Sarah climbed up on her knees and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "I love you too, Angel." She sat back down. "Can you tell me about being a jedi? Is it like the movies?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Lorianna shrugged helplessly.

Tommy laughed at the thought. "I doubt she saw the movies, Sarah."

"Why don't you keep to yes or no questions, baby girl. She doesn't know the words to tell you more right now," Joel told her gently.

"Then will you watch the movies with me?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes," she replied with a nod. It would be interesting to see what these jedi movies were about.

"Where do you come from?"

"Coruscant," she answered.

Sarah nodded. "Just like in the movies! Is that where you trained to be a jedi?"

"Yes. Trained to be a jedi on Coruscant."

"Are there sith too?" she asked with bated breath.

She frowned. Sith. Masters of deception. You could not truly know if an energy sensitive was good or evil, at least not by looking at them. Some were talented enough to shield themselves from being sensed. It was one of the reason energy sensitives were feared. "Yes, there are sith too."

"Oh wow. Does the dark side of the force twist them into monsters?"

Her brows drew together. "Force?" She supposed you could twist something by force.

"Force, Angel. Isn't the energy you use as jedi called the force?" If Angel didn't know what she meant maybe the movies got that part wrong.

Oh…energy. She shook her head. "Jedi use …energy." She didn't know the English word for _living_. "Energy is not dark. It not twist. Man in dark – not energy."

"It does not twist," Joel said quietly.

"So you can't tell if someone is good or evil?"

She shook her head. "Not by face."

Her brows drew together. "Not by face?"

Joel smiled and slipped his arm around Angel's waist. "I think she means you cannot tell if a person is good or evil just by looking at them."

Lorianna grinned. "Yes!"

Sarah frowned. "That's not good. But it's like that here too. Do you have to make your own laser lightsabers out of crystals?"

She nodded. "Yes. Lightsabers not-"

"Are not," he said quietly.

"Lightsabers are not lasers. Lightsabers use crystal energy."

"Oh." She didn't understand that so she switched the subject. "How did you get here?" Sarah asked curiously. "Do you have a hidden ship or did you leave your ship up in space?" she asked as she pointed up.

She blinked. How to answer that? She looked around the room and saw a mirror hanging on the wall. "No ship here. Get here on wall," she said as she pointed to the mirror.

That made no sense. "You came here on a wall?"

Lorianna bit her lip.

Joel's brows drew together. "When I first saw you, you were standing in front of a mirror. Is that what you were pointing to - the mirror?"

She smiled. "Yes! Get here on mirror."

That wasn't possible. But then most of what he'd learned today wasn't possible. "You stepped through the mirror from your world to ours?" he asked carefully. If she came through the mirror to get here what would prevent her from leaving them? A small part of him wanted to shatter that mirror…every mirror if need be. But the choice to stay had to be hers. He knew it would be wrong to take that choice from her, but could he watch her walk into that mirror and do nothing?

She nodded. "Yes. But no step through mirror." She raised her arms up to protect her head and made a ducking motion.

Tommy laughed and slapped his thigh. "Are you saying a magic mirror fell on you?"

She stuck her tongue out at him. Her hand flew to her mouth and her cheeks grew warm. "Yes, a mirror fell on me. I went through it to here."

Sarah giggled. "I stick my tongue out at him all the time, he's used to it. But I can't believe they have magic mirrors where you come from. I don't remember ever seeing anything about that in the movies! That's awesome!"

She shrugged helplessly. "No magic mirrors, but it fell on me."

"That's hilarious! You don't have magic mirrors where you come from but one fell on you anyway. Talk about bad luck," Tommy teased.

Joel scowled at his brother. "If that mirror hadn't of fallen on her then she wouldn't be here. She wouldn't have saved Sarah and I – I wouldn't have met her. I consider that very good luck for us."

Tommy nodded. "I see your point."

Joel swallowed hard. "Will the mirror you stepped out of take you back home?"

She shook her head. "No. Mirror fell on me and -" She made a wild smashing gesture with her hands. Then she held Sarah's hands up, palms facing each other a few inches apart. She made a walking gesture with her fingers from one hand to the other.

It made sense now. She couldn't go back home. Relief swept through him. "So you can't go back, you are stranded here because you need two connecting mirrors to travel between them and the mirror on your side shattered."

She nodded. "Yes, the mirror shattered …can't go back. My home - " She pointed downwards.

Joel chuckled and tightened his arm around her. "Yes," he murmured in her ear. "Your home is here with me…with us."

Tommy cackled, he couldn't help himself. "You've got it bad. I never thought I'd see the day that my big brother was whipped."

He scowled at his little brother and pulled back from his Angel. "I don't – I'm not…" When she reached out for his hand he leaned into her and slipped his arm around her again. "I'm not whipped." He pulled her hair aside and kissed her neck. He felt the shiver that raced down her spine and grinned. He loved the way she responded to his touch.

Joel had not sounded the slightest bit convincing. "If you say so, big brother."

Sarah put her hands on her waist. "Uncle Tommy, no one is whipping my daddy."

"Sarah, honey, it's an adult joke. I was just teasing him." He cleared his throat. "Is it true that jedi are seen as peacekeepers and diplomats that only fight as a last resort?"

"Yes, it is true. Fighting is a last resort."

"Have you ever fought a sith?" Sarah asked.

"Yes, I have fought sith," she admitted.

"Sweet! Do they really shoot lightning out of their fingers?" Sarah asked and held her hands up like claws.

Lorianna laughed. "No, they don't shoot lightning out of their fingers. They use energy like jedi. You can't -" she put her hand over her eyes, "energy."

"You can't blind energy? Oh – you can't _see_ energy because it's invisible!" Sarah clapped her hands. "This is so cool – it's like a game of charades!"

"Charades?" She did not have a word for that in her language so it sounded like gibberish.

"Oh – it's a game where people act out something and everyone else has to guess what they are acting out. Sometimes you have to act out what you see on a card for them to guess. I sometimes play it with my friends at slumber parties," Sarah explained.

"Slumber parties?"

Sarah giggled. "I thought all girls had slumber parties. A bunch of friends get together and you sleep at each other's houses. It's a lot of fun!"

Joel grunted. "Yeah, just wait until you experience one, Angel. A little fun goes a loooong way."

"Oh hush, daddy," Sarah said and then stuck her tongue out at him.

Something just occurred to Tommy. "Aren't you breaking your jedi code?"

Lorianna tilted her head in confusion.

Joel frowned at his brother. "Tommy, shut up." If she was breaking her code by being with him he certainly didn't need his brother reminding her of that.

She didn't understand what he meant. How was she breaking any code? "Jedi code?"

 _Sarah beamed a smile._ "Oh! I know it!" She cleared her throat.

" _There is no emotion, there is peace._

 _There is no ignorance, there is knowledge._

 _There is no passion, there is serenity._

 _There is no chaos, there is harmony._

 _There is no death, there is the force."_

Sarah frowned. "Jedi aren't allowed to love…to have attachments….a family. It's against the code," she said dully.

She felt Joel's second arm slip around her waist to hold her tight in a dual grip. If he believed that….Where had they ever come up with that nonsense? Ah… the movies of her people. She rubbed his arm and then took Sarah's hand. "No jedi code. We can love." She didn't have the words to explain to them right now, but she would one day. They were trained, they were educated, their morals were more or less shaped or guided from childhood, but they didn't have a 'code' they were forced to live by. They were there to broker for peace, to protect and defend against injustice. Love, family, and friends - those were building blocks that gave you the strength and determination to go on despite the odds. The jedi, themselves, were a close knit family – a caring support network. And like all families if an intervention was needed to help a struggling member then they would be there to help them find their inner balance again. She couldn't understand why anyone believed it okay to take away such an integral support network.

"You can?" Sarah beamed a smile. "Sweet!" she said pumping her fists in excitement.

Joel kissed up the column of her neck to her ear. "I wouldn't have given you up to that code without a fight," he murmured against her ear and then teased her lobe with is teeth and tongue. She shivered in his arms and reached back to sink her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck.

Sarah wrinkled her nose. "Ewww, daddy…are you giving her a wet willy?"

-BREAK FOUR-

"No," he said with mock offence. "How do you even -" His gaze shot to his brother. "Tommy…." Sometimes it felt like he was still raising two kids.

Tommy held up his finger. "I used my finger!"

"What is wet willie?" This place was odd.

"It's a childish game of putting a wet finger or tongue in someone's ear," Joel told her with a shake of his head.

It did not sound like he liked that game. "Is game…but is no fun?"

"Prank or joke might have been a better word for it than game," he said with a wry grin. "The giver seems to think it is fun, but receiver doesn't usually appreciate a wet ear."

"Show her how it's done, big brother," Tommy teased with a wink to Sarah.

"Tommy – I'm sure she doesn't want-"

"Come on, daddy…show her," Sarah wheedled.

Now she was curious what all the fuss was about. "Is game, yes?" She turned the side of her head towards Joel and tapped her ear.

He released a long breath. "Fine." He kissed the hinge of her jaw, flicked her earlobe with his tongue, released a slight breath, flicked the inner shell of her ear and gently teased her lobe between her teeth.

Each flick of his tongue and fan of his breath sent shivers through her body. She reached up behind her and brought him down for a kiss.

Tommy cackled. _That_ wasn't a wet willy – that was foreplay. "That was a different type of game all together, big brother." When the kiss didn't break right away he rose from the chair, put his finger into his mouth, leaned over and swirled it in her ear before he dropped back into the chair with a satisfied grin.

She jumped, slammed the side of her head into Joel's nose and rubbed her ear. She definitely preferred Joel's idea of a wet willy than Tommy's.

Sarah covered her mouth and giggled.

Joel winced and ran his fingers down the bridge of his nose to make sure it was still attached to his face. "Remind me to thank you profusely for that later, little brother."

Tommy smirked. "You know, my memory just isn't what it used to be. I blame the beer." His eyes lit up. Normally they met up at the Red Shed or Teiner's on Saturday night. Joel preferred Teiner's because it was just a small hole in the wall, but there was always more people and more going on at the Shed. "Speaking of beer…since we can't go out tonight are we going to barbeque?"

That, at least, was a good idea. "That we are, little brother. Sarah – go pull a couple of more chairs out onto the porch." Now he had more of an incentive to finish the small table and chair set he was making for the back porch. "Tommy – grab what we need from the kitchen and I'll go fire up the grill." He looked at his Angel. "Do you need to go to the bathroom?" he asked gently.

Why? Did she smell? She didn't think she smelled bad. "No bath now."

He grinned. She must call it something different where she came from. "I mean the facilities? Toilet? Potty? Rest room? Wash room? Lavatory? Water closet?"

Her cheeks grew warm and she nodded. "Yes." She had been growing more uncomfortable but wasn't sure how to ask him where the refresher was located.

"We'll be down in a moment." He said as he swung her up into his arms. At the top of the stairs he turned and faced the far wall. "There is the main bathroom for Sarah and guests to the right just before that wall. Sarah's bedroom is to the left when you reach the wall. Our bathroom is in our room. He carried her into their bedroom, hung an immediate right and sat her down on the edge of the tub. He lifted the toilet lid for her. "I'm hoping your bathrooms look enough like ours that you know how they work. You flush the toilet when you're finished with that handle," he said as he pointed to the handle. "Give a shout when you are done. I don't want you walking unassisted. I'll get your crutches sized out this evening so you can get around on your own. Just…don't go near the stairs with them. I'm too young for grey hairs."

He closed the bathroom door as he left, pulled out his guitar and checked the strings. He settled on the corner of their bed facing the bathroom so he would know when she was done. His fingers slowly played over the strings. It had been awhile since a song had called to him.

 _It's undeniable_ _  
_ _That we should be together_ _  
_ _It's unbelievable how I used to say that I'd fall never_ _  
_ _The basis is need to know, if you don't know just how I feel_ _  
_ _Then let me show you now that I'm for real_ _  
_ _If all things in time, time will reveal_ __

 _One, you're like a dream come true_ _  
_ _Two, just wanna be with you_ _  
_ _Three, girl it's plain to see_ _  
_ _That you're the only one for me, and_ _  
_ _Four, repeat steps one through three_ _  
_ _Five, make you fall in love with me_ _  
_ _If ever I believe my work is done_ _  
_ _Then I'll start back at one_ __

 _It's so incredible the way things work themselves out_ _  
_ _And all emotional, once you know what it's all about, babe_ _  
_ _And undesirable for us to be apart_ _  
_ _Never would of made it very far_ _  
_ _Cause you know you hold the key to my heart_ _  
_ _Cause.._ __

 _One, you're like a dream come true_ _  
_ _Two, just wanna be with you_ _  
_ _Three, girl it's plain to see_ _  
_ _That you're the only one for me, and_ _  
_ _Four, repeat steps one through three_ _  
_ _Five, make you fall in love with me_ _  
_ _If ever I believe my work is done_ _  
_ _Then I'll start back at one_

 __The creak of the door got his attention, but he did not still the strum of his fingers. He looked up to see her holding onto the frame of the doorway. With his gaze not leaving hers, he finished the song.

 __ _Say farewell to the dark of night, I see the coming of the sun_ _  
_ _I feel like a little child whose life has just begun_ _  
_ _You came and breathed new life into this lonely heart of mine_ _  
_ _You threw out the life line just in the nick of time_ __

 _One, you're like a dream come true_ _  
_ _Two, just wanna be with you_ _  
_ _Three, girl it's plain to see_ _  
_ _That you're the only one for me, and_ _  
_ _Four, repeat steps one through three_ _  
_ _Five, make you fall in love with me_ _  
_ _If ever I believe my work is done_ _  
_ _Then I'll start back at one…_

He saws silent tears slip down her cheeks before the sound of applause tore his attention from her. Sarah and Tommy stood in the doorway of the bedroom. He laid the guitar behind him on the bed as Sarah rushed in to throw her arms around his neck. He hugged his baby girl back.

"That was beautiful, daddy. I haven't heard you sing in a long time. And it's okay, cause I love her too. Maybe I should sing to her some time."

He kissed her cheek. "Maybe you should, baby girl."

Tommy felt a peace he hadn't felt in awhile. He always felt that peace when his brother picked up his guitar. "I miss hearing those pipes of yours. Now go get your wife…she's waiting. Just do me a favor and hold off on telling her you love her for awhile. I need time to set up a wager down at Teiner's."

Joel closed his eyes briefly. "Tommy…you are incorrigible." He patted Sarah's behind, shooing her towards his brother so he could stand up. He moved swiftly to Angel and kissed her tears away as he swung her up into his arms.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close as he carried her back down the stairs. She didn't know he could sing and the song he chose wrapped around her heart. The way he looked at her when he sang made her feel like he was singing those words to her from his heart. That might have been foolish, romantic wishing on her part, but it was beautiful.

He settled her on the wooden swing on the porch, descended the three steps and slid off the protective cover from the grill. He raised the lid, pulled out the bag of from under the grill and poured them into the bottom. He squeezed the accelerant over the briskets and lit them. Once he was sure they would stay lit he closed the lid and vented it. He returned to the swing and lowered himself next to her.

She found it difficult to pull her eyes from him as she watched him get what she assumed to be a cooker ready. "What is -" she pointed to the rectangular cooker.

"What is that? That is a barbecue grill. We use it to cook meats and vegetables when we want to cook outdoors. It adds a nice smoky flavor to whatever you cook."

The sun was getting lower in the sky but the birds still chirped, the dogs still barked and she could even hear the laughter of children. The yard had grass and a couple of trees. What appeared to be a swing made of some black round object was suspended from one of the trees. Most modernized planets had lost nature a long time ago. It seemed that to have one you must give up the other. "Is beautiful here." She looked up at him. "Where is here?"

"There are still places of beauty that can be found here. And this is the city of Austin – or near the city of Austin."

She shook her head. "Not Austin….here" she said as she spread her arms wide.

Of course. She'd walked out of a mirror and into another world. "Let's see. We live near the city of Austin, in the state of Texas, in the country of the United States, on the North American continent of the planet Earth."

"Earth," she repeated. That was not a planet she'd ever heard of. "Do you have…ships?"

He shook his head as he rocked the swing. "Not like the kind of ships you have. We aren't capable of that kind of space travel yet. We've launched satellites, rockets and a few space shuttles – but those haven't been all that successful. We do have an International Space Station, but it wasn't really designed to support life. Baby steps," he said with a small lift of his lips.

There was something else she needed to know about. He pulled the cell phone from his pocket and clicked the button to light up the screen. "This is a cell phone. It allows us to keep in touch with each other. We can send text messages and emails as well as talk each other. It even gives us access to the internet, which connects us globally to other countries." He slid the screen up to reveal the manual keypad beneath it. "My fingers are too large for on-screen keyboards, so I bought a phone with a physical keyboard."

He slid the screen back into place. "Look at the main keys at the very bottom. This one lets you accept a call, the middle one lets you go back to the previous page and the last one lets you hang up or reject a call – it also powers up the screen. The main three soft buttons at the bottom are the phone dialer, your contact list, and text messaging. You can play games, see where you need to go on a map, surf the internet – it's a mini-computer. This," he said, pointing to a camera icon, "allows you to take pictures. Of course it's a guessing game if you are taking pictures of yourself, because you can't see it to line it up. I can't tell you how many foreheads and noses I've gotten," he said with a grin.

When Tommy sat the food out on the wooden shelving connected to the front of the grill he waved him over. "Take a picture of us."

Tommy wiped his hands on his pants. "That I can do." He ended up taking two, one landscape and one portrait. When Sarah came out he motioned her to sit on their laps and took another shot portrait mode and handed the phone back to his brother.

"Thanks," Joel said as he pulled up the pictures and showed them to her. He was glad he thought to take them so he could remember the day he'd met her. He also needed to get her a phone. It would be tight on the budget, but he didn't want her getting lost in an unfamiliar city with no way of reaching him.

"Beautiful…" she said softly as she looked at the pictures of them. "We don't have cell phones. Pants," she said and poked into the pocket on his pants, "in bedroom."

"Sarah, baby…can you please go up to our room and see what's in Angel's pocket?"

"Cool!" Sarah said as she jumped off their laps. "Space stuff!"

He smiled when she tore into the house. "That's my girl." He stilled the swing and rose. "I need to get our dinner going." He noticed Tommy had already put the tinfoil wrapped potatoes and vegetable on the grill. Good man. He laid the meat out on the grill and basted it with honey smoked barbeque sauce and lowered the lid again.

Tommy returned with three cold beers in his hands, tops already popped. He handed one to each of them and plopped down on a chair to take a swig.

She eyed the bottle curiously and then sniffed it. She jerked her head away from the offending odor and handed it to Joel.

Tommy laughed. "Beer is an acquired taste. Do you like wine?"

"Yes," she said with grin.

Joel took a swig of his beer and set it in the drink holder on the arm of the swing and got up "I'll be right back with a glass of wine." He handed Tommy Angel's beer before he went into the house. He opened the pantry in the kitchen and grabbed one of the bottles and then pulled down one of his mother's wine glasses. He didn't mind wine, but it had always seemed a waste to open such a large bottle when he was by himself. He poured her a glass and put the bottle in the fridge. He pulled a couple of frozen cherries out of the freezer and slipped them into her wine. It was too warm out to drink warm wine. At least, it didn't sound appealing to him.

Sarah ran past him and he grinned over her enthusiasm. He handed her the glass of wine. "I put a couple of cherries in it to cool it down – I hope you like cherries." He hurried down to the grill, turned the meat and returned to the swing.

She wasn't sure what a cherry was, but the wine smelled heavenly. She took a sip and sighed. It was sweet like she liked it. "Thanks," she said, remembering that was what Joel had told Tommy after he took the pictures. She set the glass in the cup holder, though it didn't sit as well as his beer did. She sat the communicator disk in her palm and turned it on. An empty holo-field appeared. She pulled up the last communication. Master Nalar Tor's holo appeared.

"It is good of you to check in, Lor. I'm sending you the coordinates for five sites that we need you to check out. Jareen wanted me to remind you that you owe her a drink when you return." He grinned. "I doubt I want to know what that's about."

"You don't," came her response.

"I didn't think so. Be careful, Lor, that artifact is dangerous. Be one with life. Nalar out."

The holo flickered and went out. She turned off the disk and set it on the arm of the swing.

"That's a real hologram just like the one Princess Leia sent to Obi-wan!" Sarah said in awe. "But who is he?"

She grinned. "He is Nalar Tor - a jedi." She splayed her hands and shook her head. "Don't know words."

"You will," Tommy replied. "I've never seen anyone catch onto a language as fast as you have. Watch TV – it's the best and worst teacher."

She didn't know what a TV was, but she knew what a teacher was. "Teacher! He is teacher," she exclaimed.

Sarah's eyes lit up. "As in jedi master?"

"Yes – he is a jedi master. My master. I was he padawan," she clarified.

Sarah clapped her hands. "His padawan? Just like the movies! Are you a jedi master too?"

Lorianna frowned. She didn't know how to explain what happened. She was unofficially granted the title of master. It would have become official on her return. "Yes-no. I don't know words."

Joel patted her thigh and pushed out of the swing to check on the food. "Dinner smells ready." He used a meat fork to test the potatoes and meat. Done. He piled the food on the platter and carried it into the house and set it on the table. He turned around to see his brother carrying Angel in while Sarah brought in the beer bottles and wine glass. He was surprised to note that Tommy settled her in the chair that he usually sat in. That left Tommy sitting at the opposite end of the table, but it was thoughtful of him.

During dinner Joel noticed Angel hadn't touched the chicken thigh he'd put on her plate, but she seemed to enjoy the potato and vegetables well enough. "You only eat vegetables? You don't eat meat?" he asked, pointing to her untouched chicken.

She tended to eat nutria-bars and vegetables, though she would occasionally eat seafood if there were no bones or skin or other signs that it had ever been alive. She had a soft spot for living creatures and consuming them or wearing them didn't sit well for her. She pierced the meat with the tines of her fork, and turned it over to point to the bones. "I don't eat…" she shook her head helplessly.

"You don't eat bones? I don't eat them either – just the meat," he teased with a grin. "Would you prefer a hamburger? No bones to pick around." Though he hesitated to tell her hamburger had ground bone meal in it along with other things he didn't really want to think about. He wasn't sure what she ate where she came from, but the movies depicted references to nerf, bantha and other meat sources.

She held up her hand and waved it in negation. "No – no meat…I don't - I don't have words."

Joel reached out and gently rubbed the top of her hand. "It's fine, Angel. Do you drink milk or eat cheese and eggs?"

"I eat cheese and eggs," she said with a nod, "but milk?" she shrugged. She wasn't fond of blue milk. It didn't leave a very nice taste in her mouth.

He supposed they were going to start eating a bit healthier – not that they would give up meat. This was cow country. But at least he was getting a better idea of what to get at the store. "Are there any meats you will eat?"

"Yes….water," She pointed to Sarah's water glass.

"Water?" Sarah asked. "That's not meat."

"Water meat," she tried to clarify.

Joel blinked and then nodded. "So…seafood? Fish? That type of meat?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yes, but no bones…no eyes…no skin," she explained with a shudder.

Joel chuckled. "I understand. You don't much like eating a corpse." He'd have to make sure he didn't take her anywhere that roasted whole boars over a fire.

She wrinkled her nose and winced. "Yes…no corpse." That was one thing she noticed about this place. There were tree corpses everywhere. It seemed everything around her was made by sacrificing a tree's life. Its energy silenced forever. She ran her fingers over the wood of the table. "Table is a corpse," she said quietly.

"Ouch, big brother – looks like she doesn't like our line of work." That was unfortunate. Joel was a talented carpenter. He'd made many of the wooden pieces in the house. Joel had taught him carpentry basics when he was sixteen. When he dropped out of college after his first year and his brother had gotten him a job at Sterling building homes. He'd worked alongside him ever since.

Joel frowned at his brother and cleared his throat when she looked over at him. It was obvious she didn't like the idea of cutting down trees. Despite his profession, he didn't like it either. "I'm a carpenter by trade. I make furniture out of wood….and build houses." He covered her hand with his. "I have no say in the lumber used in the houses I help build – my job is to simply build, but the furniture and other wooden pieces I make are from trees that have died naturally or had to be removed for safety reasons or infestation. I do not support deforestation."

She separated her fingers to let his fall between hers. So he did not destroy. In a way, he immortalized the fallen. "Table is beautiful," she admitted.

Sarah spun one of the tines of her fork around in a circle on her plate. "Daddy, can we watch The Phantom Menace tonight?"

Joel glanced over at Angel and then back to his daughter. "That would be up to Angel." He wasn't sure if she would be up to seeing something that reminded her of the home she couldn't return to.

"Why me?" Lorianna asked in confusion.

Tommy raked a hand through his light brown hair. "Because my brother is wanting to spare your feelings. The Phantom Menace is the first of six movies about your galaxy. I'm guessing you aren't the only one that has ever shown up here. It's just too much of a coincidence." Whoever it was, he doubted the being was still around…unless they weren't a force user….or unless the government found him.

"I'm not the only one," she said quietly. It might make her homesick, but she was curious how someone else perceived her culture. She nodded to Sarah. "It is fine. We watch."

-BREAK FIVE-

"Yay! Daddy, can I clean up now?"

Joel grinned. His daughter usually had to be prodded. "Sure thing, baby."

"I'll put the leftovers in the fridge," Tommy said as he stood up and stretched.

"I'll put up the grill as soon as I get Angel to the sofa." He scooped her up into his arms. "Do you need to go to the bathroom?" He asked quietly. At her 'no' he carried her to the sofa and settled her against the arm. "I'll be right back."

After he moved the grill out of the way and covered it back up, he hurried into the house and up the stairs. He picked the guitar up off his bed and set it back on its stand with a soft smile. He hadn't expected her to come out when she had. But he hadn't been able to take his eyes off of her. His feelings had prompted him to sing the song. Sometimes he found it easier to let emotions out in a song; otherwise he tended to bottle them up. Singing had been an outlet during his teenage years.

When he finished in the bathroom he went back downstairs to find everyone waiting on him. He located the DVD and grabbed the remote before lowering himself between his two girls on the sofa. He smiled at his brother as he put his arms around them. This was how a day should end.

As the movie progressed it became more and more apparent that the events occurred a few hundred years before her time. But the more things changed the more they stayed the same. The jedi still fought the sith. For a nearly half a century they'd actually achieved peace. They worked together to push back invaders that had been intent on subjugating them and it had proven that together they were stronger than either of them alone. But, in the end, their ideologies were just too different without a common foe to bind them together and the days of peace were over. But this, too, happened long before she was born.

What the masters had done to Anakin was wrong. Instead of coming together to bolster him and give him the care and guidance that he needed they greeted him with fear and uncertainty and left him with an untrained knight. Had Qui-Gon Jinn survived to train the boy she doubted she would have had the sense of foreboding that now filled her. Qui-Gon reminded her a lot of Nalar and that was the only thing that panged her about the movie. She could only watch helplessly as Qui-Gon was killed. She was relieved she'd never had to watch Nalar die, but now Nalar was as dead to her Qui-Gon. She would not see his smiling, kind face again.

She was able to pick up a lot more of the language by watching the movie. There were a few words she'd heard that had no translation in her language, but she at least felt like she would be able to handle most conversations, provided words weren't used out of context. She wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Are you okay?" Joel asked her quietly.

"I'm fine. Nalar and Qui-Gon could be the same man. Like Sabe and Padme. They look alike. They act alike. It was hard to watch him die and not be able to help him. Nalar was my master when I needed him to be, my father when I needed him to be and a friend when I needed him to be. And now he is gone from my life and I can't even tell him I'm okay…" her words trailed away.

Joel pulled her tighter to him. He was sorry she was hurting but he wasn't sorry that she was with him instead of Nalar. "If it is true that masters and their padawans can develop a bond, then he will know you are not dead, even if he cannot find you." He kissed her forehead. "Your English has improved a lot."

"I told you!" Tommy said with a laugh. "Good or bad, TV is a teacher."

Joel grunted and gave her one last hug. "I need to tuck Sarah into bed; she fell asleep during the movie." He gently picked his daughter up, cradled her against him and carried her up to her room.

"Angel -" Tommy wiped his hands on his thighs and leaned towards her. "Don't ever use your lightsabers or powers in public. You can't let anyone know what you are or where you came from. The world would fear you because of what you are and the government – in all likelihood - they would take you by force to some…underground lab and do god knows what to you – or try to use you to build super-soldiers. Just – promise me you will be careful." Maybe he was being a tad bit paranoid, but he didn't want to see anything happen to her.

She figured she would have to be careful since jedi weren't real here, but she had no idea it was actually far worse than she'd thought. "They would do that?"

"Without a thought or moral qualm. And we also have to get you an identity. Almost anything you will need to do requires identification. Somehow, we have to get you a birth certificate, a social security card and some sort of background to prove you've lived for the past eighteen or so years."

"Twenty years," she corrected.

Tommy leaned back in his chair in surprise. "It appears we are the same age then…and I thought you were younger."

"I get that a lot. According to Joel, my birthday is September twenty fourth, 1989. He also told the medic my name is Angel Stanton and that I was his wife."

Tommy's mouth fell open. That was their maternal grandmother's maiden name. "It would seem we're related too. Joel, you're a perv!" He told his brother when he saw him coming down the stairs.

"What are you talking about, Tommy?" Joel asked in exasperation.

"I'm talking about giving her the name Stanton. Did Smith never occur to you?" he asked with a wave of his hand. "For crying out loud – you basically told the guy you married your second cousin! Hilarious," Tommy said with a choked laugh.

Joel raked a hand through his short, dark hair. "I wasn't exactly thinking straight."

Tommy wiped his eyes and smirked. "No kidding." The smile fell from his face. "What are we going to do about getting her an identity? I mean, I knew a guy in school who did a few shady things involving hacking, but I don't know if he'd be willing to do something like that – that's a federal crime."

If it was as bad as Tommy said then she needed a solid identity. "I can do it," she said quietly. "Or at least I should be able to. Your technology and security is ancient – it should be easy to get into the system, even if I'm not familiar with it."

Tommy was stunned. "I didn't know jedi were willing to do something that dishonest. I do believe you've just tarnished the jedi halo."

Joel frowned at his brother. "Tommy, shut up. Do you really want to trust anything about her to a criminal off the street? I don't know," he said with a shake of his head. "There are risks either way." He rubbed his beard as he sat down next to her. "She would need to hack into vital statistics and social security at the bare minimum. Education is a can of worms we might not want to get into, because we are talking about creating immunization records and report cards and standardized tests scores for elementary, middle and high school. She _could_ study for a GED - that would at least get her into some colleges, if she wanted a career."

"What about where she came from? She needs a back-story," Tommy pointed out.

"Maybe we could say her family lived out in the middle of the Alaska wilderness with little to no contact with civilization…She wanted to leave when she turned eighteen, but her mom's health deteriorated and she chose to stay on to help her father care for her. Her health continued to decline, but refused to go to a hospital, she wanted die in the home she loved surrounded by her family. About a year and a half ago she passed away and they buried her overlooking her summer garden. Her dad lost the will to live without his wife at his side and passed away within a year of his wife's death. She buried him next to his wife, took the cash they'd hoarded for years and bought a plane ticket to Austin, where her mom's sister was supposed to live," he said, pointing to the house across the way where he'd first seen her. "That house has had several owners over the years, so it wouldn't raise any eyebrows."

Tommy just blinked. "I'm guessing you've been giving this a lot of thought."

One corner of Joel's mouth pulled up into a grin. "A little. But it would explain why she was unfamiliar with our culture, because she never lived in it." He turned and took Angel's hand. "If there are any doubts that you can do this, then don't. Tommy was right; hacking into Social Security is a federal crime. You would go to prison and that is not a risk I'm willing to take." And the more he thought about it the less he liked her having anything to do with it.

She squeezed his hand. "I can do it, Joel." And if she couldn't, then they'd worry about plan-b.

"Then you will do it tomorrow. It's far too late to start something that big tonight," he told her. "Sarah tends to wake up early."

She nodded and then noticed several small statues on a bookshelf case. "What are those?"

Tommy looked to where she was pointing and grinned with pride. "Joel was quite the football player in high school. Due to his size, even as a freshman, he started out as left tackle to protect the quarterback from rushers. In tenth grade he became the main pass rusher and earned the nickname 'sacker', because he rarely failed to bring down the quarterback. In the eleventh grade he started calling out the quarterback on stupid plays and the team started looking to him for direction. When his plays succeeded, coach made him quarterback. After high school he was offered scholarships from competing university scouts, even from the NFL! But he had to stay home for Sarah and me." He didn't bother to hide the pride in his voice. His brother had always been a natural born leader – the voice of reason. And more often than not he deferred to his brother's judgment. The one thing he could always count on was that it was always sound and always based on reason.

"I never once regretted it," Joel stated matter of fact. "The more important trophies are the second shelf. Tommy took his soccer trophies when he moved out. Those you see there are the trophies Sarah's earned in soccer. There's only a couple now, but she's an ace, that shelf will be filled before long. She's an amazing little girl and I'm so proud of her."

"Me too," Tommy agreed. He couldn't be more proud of his niece. "The ironic thing is Sarah and I were actually playing what the rest of the world considers 'football', while Joel was playing what the rest of the world considers 'rugby', but we Americans are rebellious by nature and tend to do what we want to do, the rest of the world be damned."

"That pretty much describes us," Joel replied as he slipped his arms under her and rose from the sofa.

Tommy stood up and stretched. "That's my cue. I'm not tired yet, so I'll go home and do a bit of research. I'll try to come up with where in Alaska she would have lived, because she would need some kind of address. I'll bring donuts with me, so don't eat breakfast," Tommy said as he headed for the door. He gave them a two fingered temple salute. "See you two tomorrow."

"Lock up," Joel told his brother and then headed up the stairs. He set her on the bed and then went into the bathroom to draw her a bath. With a grin tugging at his lips he hurried to the main bathroom to borrow Sarah's bubble bath. He poured some under the running water and returned the bottle to the other bathroom. When he returned he saw her watching Nalar's message again. "Are you going to be okay?" he asked gently as he sat down beside her.

She flipped off the communicator and set it on the bedside table. "I will be. There's a lot I miss about my life there, but there are things I would miss about here as well. I know I haven't been here long, but I can't imagine a life without you, Sarah and Tommy in it. You came into my life like a…" She spun her finger around in a circle and sped it up.

"Whirlwind?" he asked.

"Yes. You came into my life like a whirlwind and sucked me into your lives and I don't want to leave. I think maybe I came here because I was meant to be here…and it all started with a…" She frowned, took hi s wrist and used her fingers to make a spider motion up his arm.

He blinked in surprise. "Spider? Are you telling me you came here because of a spider?"

"I did. Bugs -" She shuddered. "I don't like them. A spider crawled over my boot and I kicked him off. I sent out a wave of power to clear any other spiders from my path and that burst of power caused the mirror to fall on me."

Joel rubbed the back of his hand on his close trimmed beard. "I'll be damned. If that spider were here, I'd make sure he lived like a king." At her grimace he chuckled. "I'm drawing a bath for you."

Her palm flattened over his chest and she grazed her nail over his nipple. "Just for me?"

He sucked in a breath as his body roared to life. "I thought you might enjoy relaxing." He was going to go down and grab her crutches while she was bathing, but now that was the last thing on his mind.

She shivered at the deep huskiness of his voice. She pulled his t-shirt over her head and stood up just long enough to pull her panties and his shorts over her hips. They slid down her legs to pool on the floor. "I can relax when I sleep."

He swallowed hard as his hands slid up her ribcage to cup breasts that overflowed them. He drew his thumbs over the hardened peaks before he slid one arm around her and pulled her tight to him to get her off her feet. With a groan he lowered his lips to capture the dusky, pink bud. He turned her body and sat her down on the edge of the bed before dropping to his knees. "It you lay back on your elbows you can watch," he murmured.

What had he meant by that? "Watch what?" she asked as she did what he asked.

His hands slid up her inner thighs to spread them further. They did not have a lot of time until he would need to shut off the water, so he wanted her as excited as possible. He looked down at the soft, pink folds that beckoned him. He drew his thumbs across the tender petals that were already swelling for him. He separated the folds to reveal the hidden treasure beneath them. She was so beautiful to him. "This…" he said and lowered his head to flick his tongue over the exposed bundle of nerves.

Watching his lips and tongue dance over her heated flesh was the most erotic thing she'd ever seen. She knew he was watching her too. She could feel the heat of his stare, but she couldn't take her eyes off the movements of his tongue and the exquisite pleasure that rippled through her with each warm and agile caress.

Her hands gripped the blanket and her moans became soft cries as his lips and tongue became more assertive, driving her body towards the summit. When his finger thrust into her she stiffened, walking the knife's edge and then plummeted into the abyss with his name on her lips.

He eased her down and then rubbed soft bristles on his chin against her.

The sensation of his beard spiraled through her and she felt her body tightening up again. "It's happening again…" she whimpered. "Don't stop." Her eyes captured his and held as her body shattered once more. She moaned when his finger slipped from her body.

He rested his chin on the silky skin of her mound. She had collapsed back against the bed and all he could see was her toned belly, the large swell of her breasts and the underside of her chin. She had a way of making him feel like the most talented lover alive. He knew he wasn't, but the way she responded to his touch filled him with confidence and overflowed his heart. He stood, walked to the edge of the bed and slipped his arms under her to pick her up.

She looped her arms around his neck and pressed her breasts to his chest, the hairs tickled her nipples. She nipped his neck gently and trailed her tongue up to his ear. "You're amazing." She nibbled his lobe and felt him shiver. "I want to feel you inside of me."

He released a ragged breath. "There is nothing I want more than to bury myself in you." He stepped over the side of the tub and lowered them into the relaxing heat of the water. He leaned forward to shut faucet off and then settled against the tub's back. She turned to straddle his hips. A long, draw out groan slipped from his lips as she slowly slid down the length of his arousal, her muscles stretching around him, tight and hot.

Her mouth met his in hungry need. His hands skimmed down her back, careful to avoid her hip, and gripped her ass to guide her movements. It didn't take long for her to begin riding him, no longer needing his guidance. He rolled the bar of Dove soap in between his hands and pulled her against his chest as his soap slick hands ran down her back, over her ass and down her thighs. He soaped his hand again and when she leaned back his lathered hands slid down her arms, spent a longer time than necessary on her breasts and then skimmed over the flat of her belly.

Before he could reach his intended goal, she pushed him back and lathered up her own hands. He closed his eyes as slippery hands lathered his shoulders and arms before they settled on his chest and explored every inch of him. He leaned forward and brought her up against his chest so she could reach his back.

He cried out and fell back with a splash of water when she slammed down on him, riding him hard and fast. His toes curled as the pleasure became nearly unbearable. He gripped her ass, his hips moving to meet each descending glide. He felt the sting of her nails on his shoulders and it only intensified his pleasure. When she stiffened and clamped down around him he growled as ecstasy ripped through him. He captured her own cry of release in a kiss.

She broke the kiss and fell against him, content to feel his heart thundering against hers and the comforting caress of his hands on her back. She had lost a lot but gained so much more. "You are in my heart," she murmured.

His hands stilled on her back and he pulled her tighter against him. Those tender words spoken while her tight core still spasmed around him nearly undid him. "You will always be in my heart," he replied, forcing the words past the lump in his throat.

He held her until the water began to cool. He reached around her to pull up on the stopper and then stepped out of the tub. He dried off and then grabbed fresh towel from the shelf for her. He helped her out of the tub and dried her off while she held onto him for support. He hung her towel next to his and swung her up into his arms to carry her back to their bed. When she pillowed her head on his chest he sighed with contentment. This was how man was meant to go to sleep with his woman. Her soft breathing lulled him into sleep.

-BREAK SIX-

Joel whipped the blanket up and tucked it in around his Angel when Sarah burst into the room. He would have to remember to start locking the door. He was relieved she hadn't barged in a few minutes ago or they'd all have been very embarrassed. "Sarah, honey, it is polite to knock before coming into someone's room."

Sarah rolled her eyes, left the room and knocked on the door.

Joel sighed. She had already been in the room; it was a little too late to knock now. "Come in, Sarah."

"Daddy, mommy – can I go to Kate's? Pleeeaaase….They invited me and Lindsey to go to Denny's and then to the park," she implored with her hands clasped together as if in silent prayer.

Lorianna tucked the blanket under her arms and sat up in the bed. She held her hand out to Sarah. "Come here, honey." When Sarah took her hand she smiled and stroked the little girl's cheek with her fingers. "Why did you call me mommy?" she asked gently.

Adults were silly sometimes. "Because you _are_ my mommy. You live here with us, you are with my daddy and you love us both. That makes you my mommy," she said with a nod.

It touched her that she would think of her that way. She had a generous, beautiful heart. She pulled the girl into a hug and kissed the top of her head. "You have a beautiful heart, little one. Don't ever lose that."

She snuggled into her new mommy's soft, comforting embrace. "I _knew_ you were my mommy."

Sarah smiled softly at the girl's stubborn streak. It was obvious she would fight for what she wanted. She pulled back enough to look down into her face. "I'm not sure I'm allowed to be your mommy. Your dad hasn't -" Her cheeks warmed with embarrassment. " – we're not married, honey."

And yet again adults complicate things. "A piece of paper doesn't make a mommy. A mommy comes from here," she said tapping over angel's heart. "Do you love me?"

She smiled softly at the little girl. "I love you."

Sarah's smiled widened. "I love you, too. Do you love my daddy?"

She heard Joel's harsh intake of breath as he stiffen next to her, but she wasn't going to lie. "I love him."

Sarah nodded. "And he loves you. We love each other. That makes us a family - and that makes you my mommy."

Life was so simple as an innocent child. "If your daddy is okay with it-"

"He is..." He was overcome with emotion and could barely get the words out. He was hoping she would fall in love with him. But he didn't know – he didn't assume. He couldn't say the exact moment appreciation became love, but he did not doubt for a moment that he loved her. She was everything he could want in a woman: kind, generous, protective, caring…willing to do whatever it took to keep Sarah safe, intelligent, witty, strong, courageous, honest as the day was long – that she was agile and sexy as all hell were just added bonuses. "Your Uncle Tommy is bringing donuts – but if you'd rather go to Kate's, that's fine."

"Yes!" she said with a pump of her fist. "I'm going to go tell her! Bye mommy, bye daddy!" she waved back at them as she dashed out the door.

She grinned at the little girl's excitement. There wasn't much time to be a child when you were being trained to be a jedi. She yelped when he suddenly pulled her back down on her back. She raised a hand to stroke his short, tight beard. "What?" she asked when he just stared at her.

"If you were stranded on a deserted island for the rest of your life and you were allowed to choose one person to be stranded with, who would you choose?" he asked carefully.

That was an odd question to ask. Nalar and Srina were definitely two candidates, but if she could choose only one… "I would choose Joel Ethan Miller – if he didn't mind being stranded too."

His heart fluttered. "With you? He'd welcome it." One corner of his mouth pulled up into a grin. "Tell me…I need to hear the words."

She knew exactly what he wanted her to tell him. She looked at him innocently. "What do you mean? Tell you what?"

The mischievous glint in her eyes gave her away. His fingers spidered over her, finding every tickle spot she had.

She burst out laughing and tried to squirm away from fingers that seemed to be everywhere at once. "What are you doing to me?" she asked between peels of giggles.

"I'm tickling you. Some see it as a painless form of torture. Now, tell me…" he said as his fingers found new ticklish places. At her 'okay', his fingers stilled their torment and he held his breath.

She lifted her hand to his cheek. "I'm in love with you, Joel." She shook her head. "I don't know how I fell so hard so quickly, but I don't want a life without you with me."

He closed his eyes for a brief moment when emotion threatened to overwhelm him and a shaky breath slipped from his lips. He lowered his lips to brush them softly against hers. "I pretty much avoided women – I wanted to keep Sarah from being hurt. But my world tilted when I saw you and I couldn't stay away." A smile tugged at his lips. "Tommy and Sarah knew what I felt before I could admit it to myself. I love you, Lorianna. When I'm with you I feel alive in a way I've never felt before. You're the only one I would want to be stranded with. I selfishly want you with me until I cock up my toes."

"Cock up…" She could not make sense of his words.

"…Until I die, Lor. I want to grow old and grey with you." His heart skipped a beat as a realization just dawned on him. He'd made love to her several times without protection. Something he hadn't done since Sarah was born. He'd used a condom with the few women he'd been with since the divorce. He didn't want to risk fathering another child until he'd found the right woman. It never crossed his mind with Angel because his heart had known she was the right woman and she could already be carrying his child. He didn't want to ask her to marry him after he found out she was with child. He didn't want her to think it was duty like it had been with Becky. "I want to marry you. I want to have children with you. I want to grow old with you. I want to experience everything life has to offer with you. I know this isn't very romantic and I know it's crazy and fast as hell, but will you - would you consent to being my wife? Would you marry me?" His cheeks flushed with heat. Damned if he hadn't just asked her twice to marry him. "You don't have to answer now – I'll wait-"

She placed a finger over his lips. "I don't care if it is crazy or too fast. I want to marry you. I want to have children with you. I want to grow old with you. I want to experience everything life has to offer with you. Will you marry me, Joel?"

He blinked and watched a smile slowly spread over her lips. "In a heartbeat." His lips captured hers just as his cell phone beeped. He groaned and pulled it off the bedside table to read the message. "Looks like Tommy is going to be a couple of hours late. He said he's going to bring some good news with the donuts." He'd also asked what Angel's name was. He sent him what he'd asked for, put the phone back down and turned back to his angel. "Now…what were my fiancé and I doing?" He sucked in a harsh breath when she stroked his arousal.

He was strangely silky soft but hard as well. She pulled the blanket down and pushed him onto his back so she could see better what she was doing. She licked and nibbled her way down his abdomen, enjoying watching his muscles flex and roll as much as she enjoyed hearing his ragged breaths. She exhaled a hot breath against him before she explored the head of his shaft with flicks of her tongue. He seemed to really like the feel of her tongue on the underside where the two sides of the head met up. She slowly lowered her head and took him into her mouth as deep as she could comfortably tolerate. His groans encouraged her. She wasn't sure what she was doing, but she knew that he preferred to be hilted inside her so she slid into a meditative trance and relaxed her throat to take him deeper. She swallowed reflexively and continued to do so to prevent discomfort.

His body arched and he cried out as a new kind of pleasure rippled through him. Outside of being inside her this was the second greatest pleasure he'd ever felt. No one had ever taken him deep before and it was nearly unbearable. Between the squeezing of her swallowing and the movement of her tongue against him it didn't take long to find himself hurtling towards the brink. He tried to relax, but the pleasure was too intense, so he diverted his attention by pulling her on top of him so that he could concentrate on pleasuring her. Her moans joined with his, intensifying his pleasure. He felt himself thicken and his testicles begin to tighten. "I'm going to come," he warned her in a thick, guttural voice. He thought she'd pull away but she didn't. When she cupped his tightening testicles, her fingertips grazing the sensitive skin behind him he catapulted over the edge with harsh shout. His hips came off the bed with the force of his release and didn't come down until he'd spent the last of his seed. His toes curled as he slipped from her throat into a suction that didn't end until her lips reached the tip of him and he slid free of her mouth.

She barely noticed the pain as he grabbed her hips and spun her around, pulling her up his body until she straddled his face. She grabbed the headboard for balance and felt the warmth of his breath feather across her sensitive, swollen flesh before his lips and tongue moved aggressively against her. Her body trembled at the heavenly assault. "Aaah…yes…" She looked down at him and saw the love and heat in his eyes as he made love to her with his mouth. She cried out when he suckled her and moved against him as the pleasure built up inside her. She leaned back and placed the flats of her palms on his chest, her body arching. She felt his grip on her tighten and then she spiraled over the edge, her body shaking from the release.

He scooted her back down his body and rolled them over. His mouth found hers as he slid into her tight, wet heat with a growl. His strokes were slow and deep and he didn't stop until they were sated and exhausted. He held her close as their heartbeats slowed. "I can't think of a better way to spend the morning than in your arms. It's going to be hard to go back to work," he admitted.

"Do you have to go to work today?" she asked quietly.

"No. Tomorrow. I usually have the weekends off unless we are behind schedule or pushed for a deadline. I try to make sure that doesn't happen – it's the only real time I have to be with Sarah. It's been harder since I started working two jobs." Since he'd started working two jobs he didn't get to see her as much as he needed to. But they needed the money now more than ever. Now he would have a wife and a child to provide for.

"I need to work, Joel. I'm used to keeping busy. If I work maybe you won't have to work two jobs." She frowned. "I'm not sure what I would be able to do here, since I cannot be what I am."

He understood her need to keep busy. He needed to keep busy too. He'd taken his second job to put money aside to purchase the tools he'd need to start his own carpentry business. "You just broke your hip, Lor. You _do_ have to take it easy right now, even if you don't want to. Once we get the doctor's okay and once we have your identity and wardrobe taken care of then I'll help you find a job. If you do not mind serving customers, there are a couple of places nearby that will hire you without experience. They will train you."

She ran her fingertips through the hair on his upper chest. "Jedi have always served the people. I will continue to do so even if it is in a slightly more mundane fashion. What kind of work?"

"Restaurant," he admitted. "Denny's is nearby, but probably not close enough to walk. Maybe you would be able to get a schedule coinciding with mine and I'll be able to take you. There is also Teiner's. It is smaller, catering to locals, but you could easily walk it. You might even be able to supplement your income by teaching some of the locals self defense. I'd be one of your first students," he said with a grin. He could throw a pretty damned mean punch, but he doubted that was her idea of efficient fighting.

"Thank you. I will try Teiner's and maybe train students. Your idea is good." She tilted her head. "You would not mind if I took you to your knees?" Even at her old home some men did not like being bested by a woman.

One corner of his lips curled up into a lopsided grin. "Do you mean will my manly pride be damaged? No, but I can't say I won't take advantage of being on my knees," he teased.

She blinked and then her cheeks heated up when she realized what he was referring to.

He ran his fingertips softly over her bruise. The purple had faded and it was more greenish-yellow. "Your bruise looks like it happened over a week ago. Another two or three days and it might be gone…" he said softly, stunned by how fast she was healing.

She glanced down at the bruise. "I've been putting energy into healing myself. I tried to tell you I didn't need to go to the hospital, but you couldn't understand me."

"Then…you are a healer?" he hadn't really seen any of that in the movies except for possibly old Ben after Luke was hurt by the tuskens.

"Not specifically. There are jedi who trained primarily to be healers, but most of my training was focused on defensive and offensive combat, though I did have training in healing. I started by learning to meditate and force the cells to repair faster, now I can do it without meditation. But healing others is much harder on me. It takes a lot of energy from me to heal simple wounds and if I tried to heal someone severely wounded, I'm not sure I would survive the amount of energy it would take to heal them."

"Then don't even try it. Regardless, I don't think I should take you back to the doctors. We wouldn't be able to explain why a broken hip was fully mended in a week or two. But I want you to wait two weeks before you start walking unassisted by crutches – and don't think to fight me on that, Lorianna. It takes longer for a bone to mend than a bruise."

She would be walking on it now if it weren't for him. If it made him feel better, she'd go along with it. It was only two weeks. She'd survive the inactivity…probably. She nodded.

Joel exhaled a breath when his phone chimed. He reached out to take a look at the message. "Tommy's on his way. Time to rise and shine." He carried her into the bathroom and set her down on the toilet while he rummaged through the closet for the extra toothbrush. He was surprised that she felt comfortable enough to urinate in front of him; women could be weird about that. Maybe jedi weren't afforded a lot of privacy. He set the toothbrush on the counter and pulled the toothpaste out of the drawer and set it next to the toothbrush. He brushed his own teeth while she finished up. He rinsed out his toothbrush and set it in the holder. "When you are done, you can put your toothbrush in the holder next to mine."

She used the sink to rise to her feet and washed her hands balanced on one leg. It felt good to stand up even if she had to keep the weight off of one leg. She brushed her teeth while he used the toilet and then watched as he groomed and trimmed his beard.

"I like your beard short and trim…it makes you look…" She didn't know the word for _distinguished_. "It doesn't look messy."

He looked at her through the mirror and smiled. "Then I will be sure to keep it short for my lady." He put on deodorant and then set it on the counter. "You can use it if you want, though I'm not sure you will need it." It was the best he could think to say. He didn't want her to think that he thought she smelled bad, because she didn't.

"What is it?" she asked curiously.

"It's antiperspirant/deodorant. It helps keep my armpits from sweating so much and makes me smell better," he explained.

"I had a crystal for that. I only had to use it once a week." Her lips twitched. "So I didn't think to bring it with me. In a few more days, I'm sure I'll need it. I wouldn't want you running from the smell of me."

"This is Texas – cow central. It would take a lot more than that to make me run." He swung her up in his arms and set her down on the bed. He pulled out a fresh shirt and boxers for her to wear, handed them to her and put on his own clothing.

"You don't ever wear these?" She asked snapping the elastic of the undergarment against her belly.

A wry grin spread over his lips. "Boxers? I don't much care for the feel of them under my jeans. Not even sure they'd still fit. My parents never failed to get me more boxers for my birthday. I guess parents don't think you can ever have enough underwear." He'd noticed she'd put on her binding bra. Probably for the best, the tight peaks of her breasts were far too enticing poking out of his t-shirt. He carried her down the stairs and settled her on the sofa. "'Mornin'," he said to his brother who had let himself in and was sitting on the recliner.

Joel grabbed the crutches, broke the plastic tie that held them together and carried them over to her. "Stand up and hold onto my shoulder, I'm going to fit them to you." He raised them up to the level she needed and then showed her how to use them. "I can see you already set the table," he teased his brother with a grin.

Tommy rose from the chair. "I'm a little hungry," he admitted as he settled into his new place at the table.

Joel walked behind his Angel as she hobbled over to the table with the crutches. "I'm going to miss carrying you," he teased in a voice tinged with regret. "Thanks for the donuts, little brother." He pulled out two Boston creams topped in chocolate out of the box. "Try this, it's one of my favorites," he said as he placed one of them on Angel's plate. He placed his forearms on the table and looked at his brother. "Tell us about this good news."

Tommy swallowed his bite and smiled broadly as he leaned forward. "I reached out to that old friend of mine. He just happens to have a go-to guy for the kind of items we need. I met with the guy this morning – that's why I was running late. He's agreed to get her a birth certificate, social security card and passport. In a few days I'll have a copy of the recorded originals. He even threw in a few merchant accounts dated five years ago with paid off balances so that she would have a credit score. He put in for replacement cards; they should be arriving in the mail within ten days. She'll have a Mastercard, a Wal-Mart card and a Dell account." He held up his cell. "Smile," he said and snapped a picture of her. He sent the picture to Bimmy. He wasn't sure of the man's real name and didn't care so long as he got results. "And, I found an old cabin outside a make-shift town that is long dead. I used that for an address for her. Closest city would be Seward, Alaska."

Joel was suitable impressed with his little brother, though he was pretty sure the price he paid for those documents didn't come cheap. "I reckon that set you back a pretty penny," he said with an intent look at his brother.

Tommy crossed his arms over his chest. True, it had cost him a good chunk of his savings, but Joel had given up everything to raise him and Sarah. "I don't even want to hear it, Joel. She saved the life of my niece and you supported my ass for years. I consider every penny well spent. Deal with it."

She felt bad that he'd had to spend money on her. "I'm sorry. I will pay back-"

Tommy held his hand up. "No, you won't – I wouldn't accept it if you tried to pay me back. I consider you family and it doesn't matter if you marry Joel, me, or someone else. You are family. Like I told Joel, deal with it."

Joel's eyes narrowed on his brother. "She's marryin' me! Not you - not anyone else. Me, Tommy. Me."

Tommy grinned and he didn't care if he looked like a loon. "Good," he said with a nod. "About damned time. Congratulations."

Joel's mouth fell open. "You've got to be kidding. We've known each other two days. Most folks would think we were insane for jumping the gun."

Tommy pursed his lips. "Most folks weren't there to see what Sarah and I saw when you two first met. Some things happen for a reason, big brother. That spider you told me about was meant to crawl across her shoe, she was meant to fall through that mirror, Sarah's favorite song was meant to play at that specific time, that car was meant to be passing when it did. Everything conspired so that you two could meet, because you were meant to be together."

"So I am to believe that you think our lives are pre-planned out?" Joel asked skeptically. That did not sound at all like his free as a bird baby brother.

"No," Tommy said with a shake of his head. "I'm not a big believer in fate, but I do believe that some things occur due to serendipity. Everything might have happened to allow you two to meet, but it was up to you to decide what would come of that meeting. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. That's why I was going to drink if you didn't – Angel was meant to be a part of our family. That I _do_ believe."

Joel decided to let it go. He knew that if he continued to question his brother about his interest in Angel it would lead to a fight they might not be able to come back from, especially with the way his brother knew how to push his buttons. "Thank you for what you are doing for us. I won't forget your help, little brother."

"That's sweet," Lorianna said softly.

"What's sweet" Tommy asked curiously. "Besides the donuts…" he grinned.

"I just figured something out. Every time he calls you little brother what he's really saying is _I love you_." She bit back a grin when she saw Joel's cheeks turn pink. "Was that meant to be a secret?" If so, there were certainly rules she didn't understand.

Joel rubbed the back of his neck and lowered his hand to the table with a sigh. "No…not a secret. Just…understood."

Tommy absently picked at a donut. "I didn't understand it, Joel – not until Angel opened my eyes. So it's Princess Bride thing. No matter how endearing 'as you wish' is…sometimes – sometimes I just need to hear the words." He looked over at his brother. "Do you know why I push your buttons so often? Because you can get wound up so tight and you are stubborn as a brick wall, keeping it all inside. Sometimes you need a little push to see what's right in front of your face and sometimes you need a push to cut loose, even if the cutting loose is on me. I do it because you need me too. I love you, big brother. I always will – even if we don't see eye to eye all the time."

He felt Angel's hand squeeze his and the faintest of tugs. She was right. He stood and circled around her to his brother who rose to meet him. He pulled his brother into a hug and forced himself not to pat his back like you would to someone you were not close to. "I love you, little brother. I always have…even when you make me want to knock you on your ass. I know I don't say it enough – I don't know why it is so hard for me to say those words, but I'll try to do better."

"You better," Tommy murmured quietly. "No doubt your wife will want to hear it several times a day. Start there – get used to saying it or you'll be sleeping alone in your den."

Joel blinked. "Good point." He clapped his brother's shoulder and returned to his chair.

-BREAK SEVEN-

The following evening, Mama Nell and Papa Will along with their youngest daughter Lindsey descended on the house. Will had come home from work yesterday and told her what happened to Sarah and the new woman that now lived in the house. Nellie knew Joel was careful and never let anyone he dated meet Sarah. To have one actually living there said a lot. But she'd never heard of the girl and she needed to find out what kind of woman had snared Joel's heart. She had hoped that one day Ams and Joel would find their way back to each other. But Ams married right before Joel's wife left. It seemed they would forever be star-crossed lovers.

Lorianna carefully opened the door so as not to knock the crutches out from under her. She recognized the girl right away – there were several pictures of her, Sarah and Kate throughout the hose. Her brows drew together. There was a familiarity about the girl, but maybe it was because of the pictures – or because she had green-hazel eyes that looked like Joel's. "Lindsey!" she said with a grin. "I've seen you in so many pictures it's almost as if I know you." She looked at the couple that had come with her. "My name is Lorianna, but everyone calls me Angel." She hobbled backwards. "Joel's at work but you can come in if you wish. Sarah's upstairs, honey, if you want to run up and see her."

"You're real pretty," Lindsey said, stating the obvious. "I've never seen yellow eyes before…do they glow in the dark?"

Lorianna flushed. "Sometimes they do," she said with a grin. When too much energy flowed through her it would cause her eyes to glow.

She beamed a smile at the pretty woman. "That's so cool! I'm gonna go see Sarah," she said and then darted up the stairs.

"I'm Nellie and this here's my husband, Will." Nellie said as she closed the door and followed Angel to living room.

Lorianna lowered herself into the recliner so that the married couple could sit together on the sofa. "Joel has told me some about you. He said you were a second family to him – that he and Amber had grown up best friends. It's obvious that girls feel the same way about each other."

Nellie slipped her arm through her husband's and leaned against him. "Our families have always been close. We lost our best friends when Beth and Quinn died, but it warms our hearts that our children remain close. Our oldest daughter, Ams, is married and living in Georgia now," she said carefully, unsure how much Joel had told her about Ams or how much he intended to tell her. "Normally, we visit her for the summer, but Ams and Mark are driving down this year. It will be nice having everyone together at the house again. Where are you from?"

She was glad she'd spent the time researching Alaska, where she was supposed to live and what life was like there this morning. "Alaska. My parents were lone wolves, so we didn't live very close to any towns."

Nellie glanced up at her husband and released a slow breath. "I used to want to visit Alaska, but that is where Beth and Quinn died – I'm not sure I'll ever be able to go there now." She tilted her head and studied the young woman. "How did you end up here from Alaska?"

She tucked her hair behind one of her ears. "My mother grew sick and not long after she died my father passed away from a broken heart. They were everything to each other. When I was younger she had told me she had a sister that lived in Austin. It was the only place I could think to go when they died. I didn't want to live out in the middle of nowhere by myself. I wanted the chance to be around people…to have friends. So, I came down here to her last known address," she said as she pointed to the house across the street. "But if she'd lived there it was many years ago. Either way, I arrived just in time to prevent an accident with Sarah and met an amazing family that has come to mean a good deal to me." She laughed softly. "Tommy thinks I was meant to show up there at a time - that I was needed. That it was serendipity."

"Serendipity…" Nellie murmured. Since Joel had never allowed a woman in Sarah's life before she had to wonder if that was why he and Ams never worked out…because he was meant to be with someone else. "What does Joel think?"

"He actually agreed with his brother and he said he owes his thanks to a spider." She grinned. She could not leave the spider out of the tale; it played too big of a part. "A spider crawled across my shoe. I shrieked and spun around trying to kick it off my shoe and that is when I caught sight of what was about to happen with Sarah and the car. Before the spider, my back had been to them and I never would have seen it in time. So maybe it _was_ serendipity."

"Maybe it was," Will said quietly. "I'm a paramedic at the hospital. If we hadn't gone into Austin and I had been at work, I might have gotten the call that picked you up. When I went into work the next day the other paramedics told me about a newlywed couple that had been picked up next to my house and how their kiss made the vital statistics monitor's alarm go off. The driver thought she'd had a heart attack. They couldn't stop laughing over that. Imagine my surprise when I discovered Joel and some woman named Angel were that newlywed couple."

She rubbed her warm cheeks. "Well, I was…disoriented and speaking gibberish – no one could understand me. And since I was by myself he wanted to make sure a friendly face stayed with me so he told them we were newlyweds. The – uh…alarm was my fault. Since I couldn't get the words out, I thought a kiss would let him know that I understood what we were pretending to be. Whether he wanted to kiss me or not, the kiss took on a life of its own."

Nellie grinned when her husband chuckled. "Trust me when I tell you that boy wanted to kiss you. The whole time he was married to Becky he never touched her, no matter how many times she tried to seduce him. If he hadn't wanted to kiss you, he wouldn't have. That you two done set the alarms off is hilarious. And the fact that you are stayin' here – that he let you into Sarah's life tells me he's got it bad for you. So we had to meet the woman that saved Sarah and stole our Joe-Joe's heart."

There was a real sense of family and love…now she understood why he called her Mama Nell. She smiled softly. "It appears we are partners in crime then, because he stole my heart too. I'm not sure…I might have even thrown it at him," she admitted with a laugh. "He's a beautiful man inside and out. I have three beautiful, new souls in my life and I can't begin to imagine a life without them in it." She wiped her eyes. "Sorry – I never expected to feel so much."

"You don't have nothing to be sorry for, honey. Love was meant to be overwhelming. Why I fell head over arse for William when I first saw him mowing old Gren's yard…he had his shirt off, his skin glistened under the sun." She fanned her face. "It was all over for me. I knew I had to have him. Funny thing is I didn't usually even walk that way cause old man Gren's a miserly cuss – but I wasn't paying attention to where my feet were going and they led me straight to Will."

Lorianna's pale gold eyes sparkled. "So what you are saying is your feet had a _Will_ of their own."

Will chuckled. "That was terrible," he teased with a grin.

"But true," Nellie said with a giggle.

Will shook his head. "I was new to the neighborhood. No friends, new school and when she came up to talk to me my heart fell at her feet and I knew she was the girl for me. Sometimes things are meant to be and people just click and sometimes it takes awhile for people to click. Beth and Quinn buzzed around each other a couple of years before they got together. All I'm sayin' is we understand being knocked for a loop, cause it happened to us."

Nellie nodded. "Do you know what you're gonna do once you're back on your feet?"

That was easy to answer. "Work. I can't sit around and do nothing all day. I'd go crazy. Joel wants me to wait two weeks, so I'll do that for him. But I'm eager to have something to do. He told me about a place called Teiner's. I'm going to try for the morning shift so I can be home when Sarah gets home from school. And if I'm working then Joel won't have to work two jobs and he and Sarah will be able to spend more time together. Win-win if you ask me," she said with a soft smile. "I'm also going to see about starting some self-defense classes. My training is…unusual and Tommy and Joel both think there may be a market for it."

"What kind of training is unusual?" Will asked curiously.

Lorianna bit her lip. "Jedi self-defense," she admitted.

"Wow – and you learned that in Alaska? So that's what happened to all the Jedi," he teased.

Lorianna grinned and nodded her head slowly. "I suppose I deserved that after the 'Will' joke." She had to think fast because that was not something they'd gone over. She hated lying to them, they seemed like remarkable and kind people, but they had always told her to keep her secret from everyone. "There are some eccentric people living in Alaska. There was a travelling trapper who worked on my training every time he passed our way. I-" she stopped. She couldn't go on with the lies. Not with people who had been a part of the Miller family since Joel's parents were young.

She combed a hand through her long hair. "I can't do this," she said quietly. "Not to you. There's something I'm going to tell you, something I was told not to tell anyone – but you're not just anyone…you've been a part of their family for a very long time. What I'm going to tell you can't go any further. It would put our safety at risk."

Nellie looked at Will and he nodded. She gave her attention back to Angel. "Honey, you have nothin' to fear from us. We are a close knit family and nothing you say will go beyond us. We won't even tell our girls unless you are okay with it. Joe-Joe and Tom-Tom call us mama and papa for a reason – you are safe with us."

She gave the couple a tight smile. "I never doubted that –I can…I can sense your sincerity. But what I'm going to tell you is – will be hard to believe." She cleared her throat. "I never lived in Alaska. I came from…from somewhere much farther away." She shook her head. They would just think she was crazy and might fear for Joel and Sarah's safety. "Will you do me a favor and go get Sarah and Lindsey. I think the story might be easier to hear with them present."

Nellie blinked in confusion. How would it be easier to hear with the girls there? "Of course," she said as she pushed herself off the sofa and hurried up the stairs. She had to admit she was dying of curiosity. She pushed open Sarah's door. "Angel would like for you both to come downstairs for a bit."

Sarah's eyes opened in worry. "Is mommy okay?"

Nellie blinked and then smiled. It was glaringly obvious how much Sarah loved her. "She's fine, honey, but she wants to tell us a story about who she is and she wanted you two to be there when she does."

"Oh, yay!" Sarah said clapping her hands. "I love that story! But it has to be our little secret," said in hushed tones. "We have to keep my mommy safe."

"We will, honey. Come on, girls. I'm itching to hear what she has to tell us," Nellie admitted.

Nellie smiled when Sarah took Lindsey's hand and they ran down the stairs. She followed at a slightly more dignified pace. A fast jog. Two dining chairs had been pulled up to face the sofa and the girls were already seated on them. She settled back in against her husband and gave her attention to Angel.

Lorianna exhaled slowly. "I wanted the girls down here because Sarah already knows. I didn't want you to hear what I said and fear that Joel and Sarah were in danger of a crazy woman. The only thing they are in danger of with me is being smothered in hugs." She cleared her throat. "I was born and raised on Coruscant. My parents died when I was young, but I was taken in and raised by a man named Nalar Tor at the Jedi temple. He was my mentor, my master and my father - I was his padawan."

She could see the stunned disbelief and the way they looked at each other concerned her. "Girls….hang on tight to the seat of your chairs and don't let go." Once their hands were latched firmly, she raised her hand and lifted their chairs into the air." Their initial shrieks of surprise were quickly replaced by giggles. She moved them to the left and then to the right before lowering them back down into place. "I'm not crazy," she said quietly. "And I'm sorry if I frightened you. Since there are no jedi here there was no easy way of telling you and nothing I said would have been believed."

Nellie lowered her hand from her heart. The girls seemed no worse for the wear; in fact they'd enjoyed themselves immensely. It was still hard to believe and she'd seen it with her own eyes. No, she certainly wouldn't be telling anyone, even if she hadn't promised to keep quiet. Every one would think she was plumb off her rocker. "It's okay, honey. You done shocked us, that's all. How did you get from a - er…galaxy far, far away to here?"

"That was an accident – but I think one I was intended to make. I was on a mission to find and secure and dangerous artifact. I was in an old castle ruins and a spider crawled onto my shoe. I hate bugs," she said and felt her cheeks grow warm. "I kicked it off and sent a burst of power to clear out any more creepy crawlies that might have come out of hiding. That wave of power is what brought a large mirror, up on a wall falling down on me. Only instead of breaking over my head, I went through it and I heard it shatter as I fell forward into grass. After I got to my feet and tried to get my bearings, that is when I saw the car and Sarah heading for each other."

"And you can't get back to your home?" Will inquired gently.

She shook her head. "I tried when I first fell out of the mirror on this side, but it was hard to the touch. There is no second mirror linked to it now, so it no longer functions. I'm okay with that. Even if I found another way back – I wouldn't go now. This is my home…they are my family. I would not leave without them."

Those words concerned Nellie. "Would you take them back with you if you could?"

She laughed and shook her head. "There is almost zero chance of finding another way back. If such a thing were to occur, I wouldn't mind taking them for a visit to the temple or take them up in a ship so they can see what that's like, but no – I would never wish to stay. It is dangerous there, I'm not even sure anyplace can be truly safe from the fight to control the galaxy."

Will nodded. "So, it's like the movies in that way – But how would George Lucas have known about your world? Ah…because you weren't the first to come over."

"That would be my guess. He knows too much for it to be all circumstantial. He did take a few cinematic liberties," she said with a grin. "The sith aren't twisted into monsters and they can't shoot lightning out of their fingers. You cannot see energy being filtered and there are no "codes" that jedi or sith have to live by. Ideals, perhaps but no codes. Our morals are guided by masters when we are young or if we stumble, but ultimately, it a personal journey for each of us."

Nellie looked at her thoughtfully. "That sounds like life in general no matter where you are. If you stumble or get lost you can go to counseling and they will help guide you back to a healthy place." She rubbed her chin. "You said you also believed the…accident was meant to happen. Does that mean you think you were meant to come here just to find love?" It was a romantic notion, but why would any god or being give a damn about something so small as to bring two people from two different galaxies together?

"Ha." She shook her head. "No. I'm hardly that important in the grand scheme of things. There are other jedi masters there to fill the void I left and I cannot use my powers here for safety reasons, so I'm not exactly sure why it happened. I feel inside that I was meant to come here – the reason why has not made itself known yet. Perhaps, I play an important role in the future…or my children do," she said with a shrug.

Sarah nodded. "Mommy and daddy are trying to give me more brothers and sisters! They try a lot, so I think it will happen soon."

Lorianna's cheeks flamed and she buried her face in her hands.

Nellie and Will laughed so hard they had to hold their bellies. "Children say the darndest things, don't they? But ya can't let that bother you none. You'll get used to it soon enough and it won't even faze you…much. Just keep your door locked or they'll see more than you had a mind to show them."

Lindsey giggled. "I caught mama bouncing on papa! Oh – and this other time I caught papa-"

Will cleared his throat. "Lindsey, we get the point." She'd come down for water at a very inopportune time, because his face had been buried between his wife's thighs. That was not a conversation that he cared to repeat.

"See?" Nellie said. "You're not gonna get away from it."

Sarah jumped up when her dad walked through the door and ran over to hug him. "Daddy! You're home early!"

"I sure am, baby girl. They shut down early cause the big boss man stopped by." He was surprised by the full house, though he shouldn't have been. If it concerned him or Sarah, Mama Nell and Papa Will were never too far behind. He hugged each of them and dropped a kiss on Angel's lips. "Give me a moment to clean up. I'll be right back," he told them as he hurried to the stairs.

Ten minutes later he felt a hell of a lot better. It was amazing what a shower can clean clothes could do for a person. He scooped Amber up and settled her on his lap. "I was expecting you two much sooner," he teased. "I can see you haven't scared her away – I'm much obliged by that."

Sarah giggled. "Mommy fought off sith, daddy. Mama Nell and Papa Will aren't scary like that."

"Sarah!" Joel warned, his eyes narrowing on his daughter.

Lorianna laid a hand on his chest. "I told them, Joel," she said quietly. "I knew what they meant to you and I didn't want lies between us."

Joel released a shaky breath and looked at Nell and Will. "Please understand this has nothing to do with trust. I trust you both completely. I just felt she'd be safer if no one knew."

Will nodded. "We understand, son. We also know a thing or two about secrets. Sometimes you have to keep them even if you don't want to, whether it's to protect someone or keep them from getting' hurt. Sometimes a secret ain't even yers to tell. So we're not judgin' you not wantin' to tell us, but we're glad she did."

"She's safe with us, Joe-Joe," Nellie assured him.

"I know, Mama Nell. I know."

Nellie's eyes brightened. "Oh – Ams and Mark are coming down in a couple of weeks."

Joel grinned. He missed Ams. "It will be good to have the family back together again. Though, I intend to get hitched before they get here. Sorry, Mama Nell, I'm not waiting to get a ring on Angel's finger."

"I'm sure she'll forgive you," Will told him. In fact, it was probably for the best. No sense rubbing salt in an old wound. "Though, I do hope you'll allow me to give the bride away."

Angel's brows drew together. "Give me away? Don't you give away something if you don't want it or to help somebody who needs something more than you do?"

Nellie covered her mouth to keep from laughing. "It's not like that, honey. It's a tradition here. The father of the bride gives his daughter into the care of her new husband. It shows that he has faith and trust that the new man in her life will love her and care for her as he did."

"That's much better," she said with a grin. Since Nalar wasn't here someone that loved Joel and Sarah would be a nice replacement. "I would like that."

Sarah bounced in the chair. "Yay! And Tommy can be the groom…"

Joel frowned. "Over my dead body," he grumbled. "I think you meant 'best man'. Tommy can be the best man. _I'm_ the groom," he corrected her.

"Oh. Yeah, that's better," Sarah agreed with a nod. "And I can be the best girl."

Joel laughed. "That'll do."

"We'll take care of the pictures and camcorder," Will told him.

Nellie rubbed her hands together. "This is gonna be fun. I'll help Angel with the cake, flowers and dress. You," she said pointing to Joel, "just make sure you have the rings and the tux."

"Yes, ma'am," Joel drawled.

"Would you mind if Sarah came back to our place tonight?" Nellie asked him.

"That's fine – go grab your things, baby girl." Sarah and Lindsey made an excited dash up the stairs and he rubbed the back of his neck. With Ams coming back for a visit there were a things he needed to talk to Angel about. He didn't want any secrets between them. He'd put it off because he knew it would hurt her. Most past lovers moved on and had no impact on current relationships. But Ams was close family and she'd always be a part of their lives, which made things awkward and painful to Mark and would do the same for Angel. All he could do was make sure he was there for her and that she never forgot how much he loved her.

-BREAK EIGHT-

A few nights later, Tommy let himself into the house. "Hi, Tommy. Sarah's already in bed and Joel's not home from work yet."

"That's okay," he said. "I came by to see you. I've got your documents. He handed her the manila envelope.

She pulled them out one at a time to look at them. She read the birth certificate and ran her finger over the bumpy seal. She opened the passport, which looked like it had been used a couple of times and grinned at her picture. She tucked the small, blue social security card inside the passport so it wasn't loose. Two more items fell out of the envelope. One was a piece of paper with her Dell account information and the second was a Texas state driver's license. She blinked in surprise.

"Yeah, I was surprised to see that in there too. He didn't even charge me for it. Just do me a favor – don't drive until either Joel or I teach you how. I like your body too much to see you trading it in for a pair of wings." Tommy's cheeks heated up. "You know what I mean."

She slipped them back into the envelope, rose from the sofa and threw her arms around him. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." She pulled back to kiss his cheek and then lowered herself back down to the sofa. "I promised Joel I'd lay off walking for another week, but this doing nothing is harder than I thought." She exhaled slowly. "I need to get a job and maybe then Joel won't have to work these long hours. It gets lonely when Sarah's at school and after she goes to bed."

He sat down next to her and turned to face her. "You can watch TV, you know."

She nodded. "I know; I've been watching the movie disks he has. Sarah and I finished all six Star Wars movies. I've watched the rest of the movies – now…" she shrugged.

He chuckled. "Those are DVDs, but he also has basic cable." He took the remote and turned on the TV. "See here?" he said as he pointed to the source button. "Press that and it will let you switch from DVD to cable. He just has the basic cable channels, but there are still quite a few channels to surf. And if it helps, I'll come over Monday through Thursday when I get off work. I'm not doing anything and you, Sarah and I can spend the evenings together. I used to do that for Sarah. I just wasn't sure how you'd feel about it."

"You should have asked," she said poking his chest. "I've been going crazy. I don't like to go to bed until Joel gets home."

"Good, cause I was getting lonely too. I'll stay with you until Joel comes home." He wasn't really. He was used to spending time by himself but he didn't want her to think it was a burden. They watched random comedies until she fell against him. He looked down to discover she'd fallen asleep. He carried her up to her room, settled her on the bed and pulled a throw blanket from the foot of the bed over her. He returned to the sofa to wait for Joel.

Joel was surprised to see his brother on the sofa rather than his fiancé. "Sarah said you weren't coming by lately. Have you been dating someone?"

Tommy laughed. "Nothing like that. I just wasn't sure if Angel would want me to come over in the evenings. I should have thought to ask her. Apparently, she 's not used to being alone."

Joel sat hard on the sofa and raked a hand through his hair. "I hate this, Tommy. I should be here with my girls." He rubbed his hands over his face. "But I'm never going to own my own business without the additional income. I don't want to be stuck playing second fiddle in Sterling the rest of my life."

He was surprised his brother was opening up to him. Maybe there was hope. "They understand, Joel, and Angel is chomping at the bit to work. Hang in there a little longer, big brother. I talked to Trevor Teiner and he will need to replace one of his waitresses in two weeks. Her mom had a stroke and she will be moving in with her to take care of her. She just turned in her two week notice today. He's willing to hire Angel on the spot. Even better, it's Ellen – so Angel will be working six to three, the morning shift. She'll be home for Sarah when she gets home from school. The tips ain't as good, but the hours are perfect."

Joel released a slow breath. If Angel worked he wouldn't have to work two jobs and he could be home most days by six. He'd be able to see his family again. He felt the heat behind his eyes and forced back the tears with a hard swallow. "We can survive without the tips. She is also thinking about teaching self defense. That could bring in additional income, if she finds anyone interested."

"Sign me up," Tommy said with a grin. "Being taught by a jedi is like a childhood dream coming true. Too bad she can't sell that." Tommy blinked and then his face lit up. "She _can_ sell that! I mean, obviously, she can't tell anyone that she really is a jedi, but she can say that she admired their fighting style and she's trained in the art since she was a child. Most people don't care about learning karate or kung-fu, but there are a lot of people who would jump to train under a jedi master. Perhaps, you can make wood lightsaber canes for her students that double as a weapon that they can learn to fight with. That would be one hell of a gimmick to draw in padawans!"

Joel rubbed his beard. His brother had a good idea. He'd added ducts to vent AC into the garage so he could do his woodwork there, but he could manage with less space if he stuck to smaller pieces for now. "Damn me, little brother – you're on to something. She should be able to train up to four students in the garage. I would just need to move around some shit and purchase some mats. She could have several groups if she met with them once a week. Tommy, you're a genius!"

Tommy blew on his knuckles and rubbed them against his chest. "Thank you, thank you very much," he said in his best Elvis impersonation. "Another thing you might want to consider is making her your wife sooner rather than later so you can cover her under your insurance. No need for you both to be paying insurance. It would save you a few hundred per month."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I know. I've been thinking about that. But we need those documents to come through first or she won't be able to work or marry me."

Tommy slapped his hand down on the manila folder on the table and handed it to his brother. "The documents are here and the credit cards should be arriving in a couple of more days," he replied with a grin.

Relief swept through him as he looked over the documents. "A driver's license too?"

"He threw that in and didn't even charge me," Tommy admitted. He stood up and stretched. "Time for me to hit the sack."

Joel stuffed the documents back into the envelope and rose to hug his brother. "Thanks, little brother. You really came through for us."

"Anytime, big brother – and I mean that," he said with a wink as he slipped out the door and locked it behind him.

-BREAK NINE-

Today was the day. Joel looked at himself in the mirror. He'd shaved for their wedding and he wondered what she was going to think. He ran his hand over his bare jaw line. He hadn't been without a beard for years. It was odd seeing himself that way again. He looked younger. He grinned. There was a sparkle in his eye that even he could see. And, oddly, he was not nervous this time. He had no doubts – only a clear certainty. He was relieved he and Ams never had the opportunity to get married. He'd have torn apart two families to have Angel. He would have done so with a heavy heart, but nothing would have kept him from his Angel. Was it coincidence that Mark had come into Ams life when he did? That he'd married her a couple of weeks before he and Becky separated? Or was it all part of some bigger plan that led to today?

After Angel had moved in he'd taken down all the pictures of him and Ams when they were romantically involved. It wasn't right to have pictures of him with another lover on their walls. He boxed the pictures away and left only a few pictures of when they were young children up. She was his best friend growing up and that is how he wanted to remember her. He would have removed them as well, but Angel had stayed his hand. He'd been honest with her after the Hanson's left the night she'd first met them and taken Sarah with them to stay the night. He'd told her about Ams – not the details that would hurt her, but about the relationship as a whole. He'd told her how he loved her because she was his best friend and family, but that he'd never been _in_ love with her. He also told her that they'd planned on getting married when they graduated before the whole Becky incident occurred. He also had told her that he was glad she'd married Mark when she did. Mark could give her the kind of love she deserved and their marriage had stopped Joel from marrying her and tearing apart the families when he met Angel. She had told him she'd have left rather than tearing apart a family. He'd told her he could not have stayed with Ams when his heart was somewhere else. To stay would have only led to greater pain. He'd also said it didn't matter if she'd left, because any path she took would have led back to him and he'd have been waiting for her. She hadn't said anything to refute his claim and the conversation had moved on to less painful topics.

He glanced through the mirror and saw Tommy walk through the door of the room he was in.

"Aw, look at that baby face," Tommy teased as he rubbed the straggly growth on his along his jaw. "Lookin' good, big brother." Tommy rubbed the back of his neck. "There's something you should know…" Mark slipped in through the door and he sighed. "Yeah – that."

Mark shook both their hands and pulled Joel in for a brief hug. "I can't tell you how relieved I am that you are finally getting married. At least now I no longer have to worry about you riding off into the sunset with my wife," he teased.

Joel grunted. "That never would have happened."

"I know," Mark said with a shrug, "but it's still a relief. How are you holding up? Getting cold feet?"

"Relax," he said, clapping Mark's arm. "No cold feet – no nerves. I've never been more sure of anything in my life. I already consider Angel my wife – this is only a formality."

Mark nodded. "I'll go pull Amber away from the bride and we'll go take our seats."

Joel released a slow breath. He was surprised that they'd made it back earlier than expected, but he wasn't surprised at all that Ams would go see Angel. It probably would have been awkward and painful for both of them, but that wouldn't have stopped her from meeting the woman that was marrying him.

Since neither he nor Angel were particularly religious they'd elected to have the wedding and reception in the Hanson's backyard, rather than a church. Their backyard was far more attractive than his own, with flower beds and flowering vines. There were only a few people coming. The family, Sarah's friend Kate and her parents Marci and Billy Richards and Mike Rodgers and his wife Teesha. Mike, his old football buddy from Houston, had invited him to his wedding a couple of years back and he'd returned the favor.

A slight breeze ruffled through his hair as he stood outside in front of the pastor waiting for his bride. His gaze locked on Amber's. There were tears in her eyes, but a smile on her face. He hadn't wanted to hurt her, but he was glad she was there for him. He winked at her and gave his attention to the door when it opened. He sucked in a breath when he first saw her. He hadn't known what the dress was going to look like but it formed to her like a pearl's skin. There was a satin collar around her throat and a lace inlay that somewhat modestly covered the overly ample swell of her upper breasts and went all the way down to the corset of the gown. The corset molded to her breasts and ribs, small angular folds emphasized her waist. The material clung to her hips and upper thighs and gave way to a shimmery, nearly opaque fabric that flowed to the ground and out behind her. Strategically place curls had been added to her wavy pale honey colored hair, part of which was intricately coiled on top of her head tucked into a tiara like crown rather than veil. Make-up accentuated eyes that matched the color of her hair and her very kissable lips looked as if they were covered in a dewy pale frost. He'd never seen her in a dress and makeup before. He'd always thought she was breathtaking but now he was barely able to breathe or think and it felt like his heart would break through his ribs.

He took her hand from Papa Will and drew her in for a kiss.

The pastor cleared his throat. "Not yet, son…we'll get to that part," he said with a grin.

He heard everyone laugh, but it was his daughter's giggle that got his attention. Her gown was a pearly confection of lace and ruffles and she looked adorable standing next to his wife. His brother stood next to him as best man, a grin from ear to ear. He felt the heat in his cheeks as he gave his attention to the pastor who began the normal wedding introduction spiel. After Tommy handed them their rings she gave Sarah her bouquet to hold, recited her own vow to him and slid the ring over his finger. After she retrieved her bouquet he bared his heart to her and slipped the ring over her finger. When he lowered his head to kiss her he felt a tap on the arm.

"Not yet, son." The pastor told him with a grin. "With the power vested in me, I pronounce you man and wife. _Now_ , you may kiss your bride."

And he did. His hands slid down her back molding her against him as their mouths met in a kiss that left them both breathless and hungry for more.

With one arm around his neck she caressed his soft cheek with her free hand. "I did not think it possible for you to be even more handsome than you were," she murmured softly in his ear. "But you are so sexy right now that I'm wet an aching for you." She nibbled his earlobe. "Though I'll miss what that beard can do to me…"

A ragged breath slipped from his lips and his fingers curled into her. They had a reception to get through and she was not playing fair. From the moment he saw her in that gown he'd wanted to peel it off and make love to her and her words had compounded that, causing his body to tremble with need. "I want to drop to my knees and taste your warm nectar. I want you to come for me so I can sink my tongue into you and catch every last drop," he whispered in guttural voice.

"Joel…" his name was little more than a whispery moan before they were whisked away from each other for a round of hugs and well wishes.

Mike clapped Joel's back in a hug. "How'd you manage to steal Jessica away from Roger Rabbit?" he teased.

"That is horrible," he said, punching his friend in the arm playfully. His eyes narrowed on Teesha, who was known for her teasing. "And don't you dare think of calling her Jessica. If you do, she'd likely to keep them bound tight all the time and that would be a tragedy."

"It sure would," Mike said with a grin.

Teesha elbowed her husband in the ribs. "Hush it before you find yourself in the doghouse," she said good naturedly.

Joel laughed. Normally, Mike's remark would have set him off, but it had always been obvious that Mike only had eyes for his wife. "Feel free to drink all ya want at the reception. I have a guest room you can stay in – it's downstairs, so it will be private enough. Cut through the backyard, I'll leave the doors to that room unlocked for ya.

The afternoon whirled on…pictures…cake…dancing…When Tommy cut in and took his wife from him he finally had the chance to talk to Amber. He didn't dance with her, because that would have been too awkward for everyone - including him. "Y'all arrived a lot earlier than expected."

"Yeah, well…I was told you were getting married and I wanted to meet her before ya did. Ya should have invited us, Joe-Joe."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't want to hurt anyone. I thought it might be too awkward…"

Her lips tightened. "It is awkward, but regardless of anythin' else, you have always been my best friend, Joel. I'll always support you, no matter what." She twirled her wedding band around her finger. "I have ta admit I didn't think I'd like her. Maybe I didn't want to like her," she said splaying her hands. "But there is this calming light inside of her and she can be funny as all get out. I couldn't dislike her, Joel. And when I saw the way ya looked at her…there was a time I'da given anything for you to look at me that way. You've found the love of your life. And I'm – I'm happy for you, Joe-Joe. Mark may not be the love of my life, but I've grown to love him a hell of a lot over the years. We are at a real good place. In fact, a few months ago I went through some new fangled laser treatments to try to clear away some of the scar tissue in my uterus so that maybe we could have children. I don't know if it will work, but I'm cautiously hopeful."

He hoped the treatment worked for her. "That's wonderful news, Ams! I know you've always wanted children and I hope you two are able to have them."

She wanted to tell him about Linds, but she'd waited too long. It just never seemed like the right time and now she didn't want to cause any issues in his new marriage. She had originally planned to finish up at Houston and take her daughter with her to Georgia, but in the end she couldn't take her away from him. He might not know she's his daughter, but at least he got to spend time with her and Sarah and Linds were able to grow up together like they were meant to. She had to make do with spending the summers with her daughter. Linds knew who she was, they never tried to hide that from her, but she'd always called her grandparents mama and papa just like everyone else did. "Thanks, Joel."

While his wife was passed around to all the guys he danced with Mama Nell and the three girls until he'd had enough and went to claim his wife. "I discovered I don't much like sharing you," he grumbled as he slowly danced her into the shadows. When no one was looking he grabbed her hand and darted behind the shrubs and led her back behind the gazebo. Since the shrubs were between them and gazebo it was as private as they were going to get. They were standing on a wooden bridge with railings. The ground beneath the bridge sloped downwards to the fence and the area was covered in small stones to help drain the yard. The bridge had been built strictly to trim the bushes, so no one would be bothering them.

He pulled his wife into his arms and gave into the need to kiss her with the hunger he'd been feeling since he'd first seen her in that dress. His hands slid over the slick, pearly material to cup her ass and grind her against him. He pulled back and grinned mischievously at her. "Lean back against the railing and hang onto it."

She did as he asked, though she couldn't think of a reason why she'd want to do that. Her heart turned over in her chest when he ducked down and disappeared under the skirt of her dress. He pulled her panties down her legs and she wondered what he'd done with them. The dress rode up some when he spread her thighs further apart, but it was still long enough to hide him.

He shoved her wet panties in his pocket. He loved how wet she'd get for him. "God, you smell so good." Her folds were slick and glistening beckoning him to them like a moth to a flame. With a groan he drew his tongue over her folds to catch the moisture and then slid it into the warmth of her heat. He was glad his tongue was longer and tapered nearly to a point. He had a much further reach than any short, rounded tongue, which allowed him deeper access to her nectar. When he'd sipped what he could reach he slipped from her heat to pay homage to the swelling nub that would release more honey for him.

He tightened his grip on her hips as he made love to her with his lips and tongue until she tumbled over the edge with a cry pinned behind clenched teeth. He eased her down from her released and then slid his tongue lower to claim the bounty he'd earned. When he was finished he lowered himself to lay on the bridge, released the button, unzipped his pants and pulled her down on top of him. He groaned as he sank into her clenching, tight depths. She rode him so hard his toes curled. When her body stiffened he drove into her heat as he pulled her down to claim her lips, capturing their cries of release in the kiss.

He held her until their heartbeats slowed and her muscles stopped clenching him. She slid off of him and he rose to his feet, fastened his pants and then knelt down to pull her panties back on. They made sure they were each presentable front and back and then hurried back to join the party. He pulled her against the shadow of a tree and kissed her.

"There you two are. We all done thought you'd ran off…instead you were sneaking kisses under a tree," Tommy said with a knowing grin. He'd checked that tree once and they had not been there. "Come on, it's dinner time and _then_ you two newlyweds can go and consummate your marriage."

After dinner he and Angel stood in front of everyone. All the adults remained seated at the tables – they were married so there was no need for them to participate. Only the three young girls were standing. Angel gripped her bouquet and turned around. She threw the bouquet back over her head in the girls' direction and heard a chorus of laughter. She turned back around to see that the bouquet had dropped into Tommy's lap.

"You've got to be kidding me," Tommy groused at the flowers in his lap.

Angel laughed and pulled up her dress to expose one leg. Joel kissed her thigh and drew the lower garter down her leg and carefully over her heel. He rose, aimed it at his brother, much like a rubber band and gave it a snap. It sailed to him and settled over one of the flower buds as if it were a tossed horseshoe.

"Very funny, big brother."

Joel shrugged and snickered. "You're the only single man here, Tommy, so buck up. Fate decrees you'll be the next one to take the plunge, little brother."

They left the reception after that and hurried back to his house to spend the evening doing what they'd already started. Consummating a marriage was a very serious obligation and it must be done well and thoroughly, after all.

-BREAK TEN-

She kept her attention on the pair of them. She was training Joel and Tommy separate from the two groups she currently had. She'd had Joel make her a pair of wooden lightsabers that could attach into a dual lightsaber at the hilt ends so that she could continue to practice in the manner she was used to. A dual lightsaber was more challenging. It could be unwieldy in inexperienced hands and it did not have the same range of motion a single or double lightsabers had. Overall, she did not like using the dual lightsaber, which is why she had always trained harder with it. She'd always been driven to master all the fighting styles and doing so had her body well honed for any situation. She spun the staff and knocked Tommy on the ribs. "Leg back – shoulder in, Tommy." She countered Joel's attack and spun low, they both jumped to avoid her staff from knocking their legs out from under them. She swung the staff up and swirled it in the opposite direction, tagging Joel in the arm and brought it down against Tommy's neck, pulling the swing so that it barely touched him. "You are not swinging a bat, guys – you have to be agile and on the move. Practice your fighting stance – balls of your feet, legs slightly bent, ready to turn in any direction at a moment's notice."

She started by teaching all her padawans form I, Shii-Cho, which was wide and sweeping, focusing on disarming rather than harming. She then moved them onto form II, Makashi, which focused on preventing disarmament. Once the basics were mastered she had them focus on defense with form III, Soresu and Form V Shein by deflecting balls back to the pitcher and Djem So by using an opponent's momentum against him. Form IV, Ataru, and form VI Niman, were forms she could only teach her son because it relied on a connection to the energy her padawans did not have. She was not sure she would teach her son Form VII, because both Juyo and Vaapad used harsh emotion - she did not want to risk him embracing those emotions because they could twist even the strongest jedi.

She never used her powers when training, it was all physical. There was nothing she could do about her senses. She knew when they were about the strike and it gave her an uneven advantage, which meant they had to work twice as hard to try to overcome the disadvantage they had. When they both attacked from opposite sides she back flipped out of the way, spun, slid in low and swiped both their legs out from under them with a sweep of her wooden staff. She grinned when they hit the ground, pulled her wooden lightsabers apart and snapped them to her magbelt and then offered them her hands.

"You know we can't exactly flip out of the way like that," Tommy said with a mock pout when he took her hand.

"You will. It's all about being agile, flexible and in control of your body. We've been working on the melee basics, stretching and balance for the last six months. You are ready to learn some more advanced moves. Even big-guy here is going to be able to do it," she said as she bumped her husband's arm playfully.

They'd married two weeks after they'd met, about six months ago. And while everyone was stunned by the quick marriage, not a one of them believed it was because she was pregnant. They did not believe he was repeating the mistake of his last marriage, but undoubtedly they were thinking he was making a brand new mistake.

A few weeks ago they'd learned that Ams had become pregnant. They were happy for Amber and Mark and that fueled their need to have their own baby. Despite their valiant attempts she hadn't even been able to conceive until recently. The food she'd eaten for years at the temple was laced with a prohibitive hormone that worked similarly on most humanoid species to prevent the production of sperm and eggs. In females their cycles were halted all together and she didn't know how long it would take for her body to free itself from the hormones that were stored in her fatty cells. She still didn't know, she never did have a cycle, but she felt the presence of the small life within.

"That's why I had Joel install those bungee cords attached to a belt. Your bodies will get used to making the motions. The cords will be loosened gradually until you are able to flip forwards and backwards on your own. And by the way, husband, you're going to be a daddy again," she said nonchalantly.

The wooden lightsaber slipped from his stunned fingers. His legs gave out and he dropped to his knees. She'd told him about the precautions the temple had taken, but even without that he'd been uncertain if they would be genetically compatible. They may both be considered human, but they evolved differently. When she stepped into him, his arms went around her and he rested the side of his face against her belly. "When did you find out?" he asked hoarsely.

She slipped her fingers through his short, thick hair. "I felt something odd for maybe the last week, but only today was it strong enough for me to feel its presence and understand what I was feeling. I can't be sure how far along I am. Eight to ten weeks?" She shook her head. "I have no way of knowing, but I can't think I'd feel it if it were any younger. Are you – are you okay with it?" she asked hesitantly.

"Am I-" he kissed her belly and rose to his feet. He crushed her against him and kissed her soundly. "Am I okay with it?" He could feel tears slide down his cheeks and didn't care. He raised one hand to cup her cheek. "I'm not a religious man, but I've prayed damned near every night that my seed would take root in your belly. To know that I am going to be a father again…I – I could not be happier than I am right now and I owe it all to a little spider," he said with a soft smile.

She kissed the tears from his cheeks. "In my defense, he did not look that little."

Tommy slapped his brother on the back and hugged them both. "Congrats! I'm going to be an uncle again."

Joel looked askance at his brother. "Are you congratulating us or yourself?" he asked with a grin.

"Both," he admitted with a wry grin.

She looked from one to the other and squared her shoulders. "Nothing changes, you got that? I'm still going to work, I'm still going to train my padawans and neither of you are going to treat me with kid gloves or I will drop you both on your asses…hard. Have I made myself clear?"

Tommy raised his hands in surrender. "As crystal, ma'am. But I don't think it's me you gotta convince."

Joel shook his head. "I don't want you doing nothing to put yourself at risk."

She put her hands on her hips. "I am in tune with my body, Joel. If or when it needs rest it will tell me and I will rest. Until then, _nothing_ changes. Deal with it," she said poking his chest. "This is not a battle you can win."

His lips tightened. "Fine. But if I see any signs that you are overdoing it, I _will_ put my foot down - that I guarantee."

"That, I can accept," she said with a nod. She would know long before him if she was overdoing it.

Sarah froze in the doorway of the garage. "I'm going to be a big sister?" she asked softly, almost afraid she'd heard wrong.

Lorianna smiled at the little girl, unaware that her light honey eyes gleamed golden. "Yes, honey. You're going to be a big sister."

Sarah flew to her mother and launched herself into her arms. "I'm so happy! I've always wanted to be a big sister. I can't wait to tell Kate and Lindsey!" She hugged her daddy and Uncle Tommy for good measure. "Yes! Yes!" she said as she jumped up and down. "I'm going to be a big sister!" She wiggled her hips, danced a little jig and then ran for the door. "Love you all," she said and then she disappeared.

"I think she took that rather well," Tommy teased.

"Too bad she's not excited about it," Lorianna with a grin. "Now, gentleman which of you two brave men are going to work on flipping first?"

Tommy took a step back and waved his arm towards the bungee contraption. "Age before beauty, hoss."

Joel shot his brother a sour look and buckled the harness around his waist.

-BREAK ELEVEN-

A few weeks ago, On April 30th, Amber had called them to tell them she and Mark had an eight pound baby girl and had named her Darcy Nellinda Welsby after both their mothers. Now she had to only wait for her own baby to be born. She rested her order pad on her large belly. "What do you want this eve, Evan?" she asked the portly, slightly balding man.

He grinned up at her but kept his hands to himself as much as he wanted to grab her ass. He'd seen what happened to the last man that tried that and wanted none of it. "Give me a deep-throat, Angel. I've been looking forward to a deep-throat from you all day."

Marci, a friend that also worked at Teiner's, whacked him upside the back of his head. "You're damned lucky Joel or Tommy ain't here to hear you talkin' to her like that. Get your head out of your ass, Evan, before it's stuck their permanently."

Evan frowned. "Come on, Marci – I was only askin' for a drink."

Marci whacked him upside the head again. "Don' pull that shit with me, mister. I can smell bullshit a mile away. If'n you were askin' for a drink, you'd of said 'I'd like to order a deep throat'. We all done heard what you said and that is not what you asked for."

"Thank you, Marci, but I'm fine. I've no doubt it would bother the boys, but I can handle it," she said reassuringly.

Marci shook her head in wonder. "You really are a jedi master, ain't you? The patience of Job," she said as she walked away snapping her gum.

She smiled tightly at the older man. "I'll be right back with your drink, Evan." When she leaned over the counter to give Travis the order there was a twinge followed by a gush of water down her legs. She pulled the towel off her shoulder and dropped it on the floor, using her foot to mop at it. "I need another towel," she said to Travis.

Marci grinned. "Why did ya dump that drink over Evan's head?"

She grinned at the other woman. "That is more than tempting, but no. My water broke."

Marci's mouth fell open. "Heavens to Betsy, honey, sit right down here," she said as she gently pushed Angel to sit on the stool behind her. "Don't you worry none about the mess, I'll get that cleaned up." She took Evan's drink, slammed it down on the table and then pulled out the mop and roller bucket. She quickly cleaned up the mess and returned the bucket to the closet. "Travis, call Shell to come in a little early. I'm takin' Angel home, she's in labor."

"Truly, I'm okay," she said to Marci who was helping her to her car. "I can walk."

"You will do no such thing, not while Marci is here to help."

Lorianna sighed and got into the car.

"Don't you worry none about Sarah," Marci said as she pulled onto the road. "I'll call the school and have her get off the bus with Kate. I'll take care of Sarah as long as you need." She pulled out her cell phone and hit the speed dial to the elementary school. "This is Katherine Richards's mom, Marci – yes… hi, Della. Please let Sarah Miller know that she needs to go home with Kate today. Yes…tell her she'll be staying the night. Yes…yes….thank you, Della…I need to go. Okay, bye now."

She pulled into the drive and followed Angel into the house. She'd never had the chance to come in before, even though their kids had been best friends since they were toddlers. Joel hadn't been the most outgoing of men and as such she had expected Angel to be the same, but the woman truly lived up to her name. Since she came to work at Teiner's no one bothered the waitresses any more. She'd put an end to that real quick and the atmosphere had warmed up considerably. Joel, himself, was not the same man he used to be. There was a light in him now since Angel came into his life. He was relaxed and even playful as if he'd finally let his guard down. The house was comfortable and by the looks of all the pictures of the family, it was also filled with love. "Where's the bathroom?"

"Upstairs to the right." Lorianna motioned with her hand after she laid her cell down on the table.

"Ok. I'll go grab some towels for you to sit on in case there is any more leakin'. You go on now and take a shower. Sure 'n you'll feel better if'n ya get all cleaned up." She started to head for the stairs and stopped. "Do you need help getting' up the stairs?"

Lorianna grinned and shook her head. "I'm fine, Marci. Did you have a difficult labor?" she asked as she walked up the stairs with the red haired woman.

"Heaven's no. I was in labor for only three hours and she shot out of me like a bullet. The doctor thought I had plenty of time, even though I told him she was comin' soon. He didn't even make it in time to deliver her. If'n my husband wasn't so quick on his feet, she'd have done hit the floor. Doc still got paid for his service though. That's why I'm concerned, honey. Even first babes can arrive long before they are expected."

When they reached the top of the stairs she pointed to her room. "I'm going to go take a shower. The main bath is right there," she said pointing to the room on the right next to the window.

Marci found a couple of towels in the bathroom closet and hurried back downstairs and laid them on the sofa and then called Joel. "Joel? This is Marci, Kate's mom."

"Marci, I'm sorry – I'm kinda busy right now. Is Sarah okay?" He held the phone away from his mouth. "Does that look like a proper angle to you? Redo it."

"Sarah's fine. It's about your wife."

Icy cold shot through his veins and he swallowed hard. "Is – is Angel okay?" He waved off a worker that approached him.

"Yes, but I wanted to let ya know that you should come straight home when you get off work. Her water broke and she's in labor. I drove her home. She's taking a shower to clean up, but I need to be gettin' back to work."

Oh fuck, it was time. Joel's heart was beating a mile a minute. "Thanks, Marci. I'm on my way," he said in a voice strangled with emotion.

She blinked when he hung up. She was going to tell him Angel should be fine until he got off work, but she doubted his head would be where he needed it to be right now. It was probably safer for him and his crew if he came home. She took a closer look at the pictures that were scattered everywhere. There were some of Sarah and Joel, some of Sarah, Joel and Tommy, but there were many more with Angel in them. One caught her eye. It was a picture of Sarah, Kate and Lindsey in jedi-style belted tunics holding their wooden lightsabers in mock battle with Angel looking on dressed in some sort of battle armor with what appeared to be real looking lightsaber hilts attached to her belt.

Lorianna caught sight of the picture Marci was looking at when she came downstairs refreshed from her shower. "I can email you a copy of that picture if you like. The girls like to do their training dressed up like padawans."

Marci looked over in surprise. She hadn't heard Angel come down the stairs. "Would ya? I'd like to have one. Kate is always talking about her training. Next to soccer, it's the best thing I've ever invested in for her." She looked back down at the picture. "She is more sure of herself now than she's ever been."

Lorianna nodded. "Knowing how to defend yourself builds confidence." She picked her cell up off the table and looked through the pictures until she located the right one and sent it to Marci.

Marci smiled. "Sure 'n I've been learnin' some moves from her." She heard Joel's truck come to a screeching halt in the drive and felt her cheeks heat up. "I'm needin' to get back to work."

Lorianna looked towards the door and back to Marci. "Marci, you didn't. It's going to be hours still."

"You never know about these things," Marci said while she hugged her friend goodbye. "I didn't expect him to rush on home, but I'm feelin' better that he did. See ya later, Joel," she said as she passed him in the doorway.

"Thanks, Marci." He turned to face his wife. "Maybe you should sit down," he said, unable to keep the worry from his voice.

The look of excitement and worry on his face was nearly comical. "You've been through this before, you know it takes time. It could be a few hours or it could be up to a day – at least according to what I read. I did deliver one baby, but it wasn't human, so this is new to me."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Actually, I haven't been through this before. I didn't make it home from work in time to be there for Sarah's birth." He cupped her face with his hands. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I'm about to pop," she said with a smile and lifted her hands to cover his. "Don't worry so much – there's nothing to even worry about at this point."

His lips tightened. So much could go wrong - women still died in childbirth. If something went wrong and the doctors told him he had to choose between his son and his wife, he would not even have to think about the answer. He couldn't lose her. "The hell there isn't. I love you, Lorianna and I'm going to worry until our son is born and I know you are going to be okay." He felt her belly grow hard and sweat break out on her forehead but the expression on her face did not change. "We should get you to the hospital."

"No," she said with a shake of her head. "I thought I would have more time….I don't think I'll make it to the hospital."

His mouth fell open in shock. "No...no…no…don't do this to me, Angel. How long have you been having contractions?" he asked as he flung the towels on the sofa over her shoulder, picked her up and hurried to his truck.

Her breath came in light pants. "I woke up with an aching back, but I just thought I slept on it wrong. My belly has been getting hard all day, but there was no sense of urgency," she admitted as he settled her onto the truck seat.

He all but flew around to his side, slammed the truck into gear and tore out of the driveway. "Shit! You should have called me." He was sharper than he'd intended but he was terrified. He didn't know the first thing about delivering babies.

"I've never been in labor before, Joel!"

He raked a finger through his hair and honked the horn as he passed someone. "I'm sorry. How far apart are the contractions?"

She leaned her head back against the headrest, panting. "A few seconds."

"Ah, fuck," he growled when he heard the siren behind him. He rolled down the window and waved the cop up next to him. "Yes, I'm speeding, Henry," he yelled when the cop rolled down his window. "The baby is coming out NOW!"

"Shit! I'll call ahead to the hospital so they are standing by." Henry stomped on his gas and swung ahead of Joel's truck, his sirens causing people to pull over so they could barrel down the road unhindered.

He felt a sense of calm settle over him. Henry would see that they got there quickly. "Just breathe through it, baby. Don't push." He blinked and looked over at his wife. "Are you calming me?" He knew jedi could influence people, but he also knew she would never manipulate him that way.

She turned her head to look at him. "Indirectly. I'm calming our son, he's frightened…" she panted through the contraction. "The cab is small, so it's affecting you too." She panted through another contraction. "He's not going to wait."

"The hospital's right there!" he said pointing the building they were pulling into. He could see the chair and nurses waiting. "Don't push! Just breathe through it. Come on, baby…hold on…Just a few more minutes."

He was coming out and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She lifted her feet onto the bench seat, grabbed the dash with one hand the back of the seat with the other and pulled herself up into a squat facing her husband.

Joel slammed on the brakes, his heart thundering in his chest when he saw what his wife was doing. "No…no...no…" He pulled up her nightgown to see that she wasn't wearing any underwear and the baby's head was coming out. He laid out one of the towels and caught his son as he shot out in a gush of fluid. He wrapped the dry towel around him and used the corner of it to wipe his nose and face. His son…he was so beautiful. May 22, 2010 would forever be engraved in his heart. The day he caught his son. "Welcome to the world, baby boy." He looked at his wife and saw that she was drained of color and shaking. That was when reality set back in. He scooted the seat back, placed the baby on her belly and slipped his arms under her and carried her out through the driver's side.

The nurses ran around to his side of the truck and he lowered her into the wheelchair. He followed at the heels of the swiftly moving nurses. They hit the elevator and took it up to labor and delivery. They wheeled her into a private room and lifted her up onto the bed.

The doctor rushed in. "I'm Dr. Howser – and no my first name isn't Doogie," he said as he pulled on latex gloves. He clamped the umbilical cord in two places and cut between them. "Do you want him circumcised?"

Lorianna was horrified. They mutilated babies like that here? "No!" She pulled her baby closer to her. "Don't touch him."

"Ma'am, there are standard newborn care procedures that this hospital follows. If you will please release your son into our care we will return him to you as soon as possible," Dr. Howser replied in a soothing voice.

Her eyes narrowed. "Would I be violating a law if I refuse these _procedures_?" she asked him skeptically.

The doctor cleared his throat. "Well – no. But we do need to weigh him and measure him for the birth records. Allow us to do that much and we will bathe him and return him to you."

She frowned. "You can weigh him and measure him here, but no bath. He's not dirty. His skin will absorb that protective coating in a few days and then I will bathe him."

The doctor sighed and looked over at the father hoping to get his consent.

"She made her wishes clear, doctor," Joel stated firmly. He hadn't known babies absorbed the waxy coating on their skin.

The doctor just shook his head and waved a nurse over to take the newborn. He palpated her abdomen and then wrapped the cord around a thin instrument. "Let me know when you feel another contraction."

In less than a moment she felt her belly begin to tighten. "Now," she said as she bore down, gripping her husband's hand. She could feel the pressure from the doctor's pulling and the placenta came free, falling into a small pan. He examined her and nodded. "You don't need any sutures. We'll keep you both over night. You'll be released in the morning barring any complications. The nurses will be on call all night if you need medical attention or a break from your baby. Paperwork will be brought by shortly for you to fill out. Congratulations," he said and left the room.

After he was weighed and measured the nurses cleaned up a few spots of blood from the newborn and put an identification band on him that matched his mother's. They diapered, dressed him and wrapped him up in a blue blanket before handing him to his father. "He is 20.96 inches and weighs 8 pound 15 ounces. A big little guy. Will you be breast feeding or bottle feeding?" the nurse asked.

"Breast feeding," she answered without taking her eyes off her precious little boy.

"I'm Pam. I'll be your nurse on call this evening. Just press the button hanging on the side of the bed if you need any assistance." She smiled at the couple that wasn't paying any mind to her and left.

Joel knew he had a goofy grin on his face and didn't care in the slightest. His wife and son were doing fine. A son he'd delivered into this world. Well, his wife did the hard part. "I thought all babies cried when they were born, but he didn't cry once," he said softly.

She looked at him questioningly. "Why would he? He wasn't afraid; he sensed our presence and was comforted by it. All those times you held my belly and talked to him? He became connected to you through that."

Joel looked up at her in surprised. "He sensed us? Are you saying he's like you? A jedi?" he asked quietly.

She laughed softly. "He's too young for a lightsaber, Joel," she teased. "But, yes, he's like me. Sensitive to what flows around him. He is the first like me that I have sensed since I arrived. Be one with life, little Geralt Amell Miller," she murmured to her son.

Joel's heart nearly plopped at his feet when his son opened his ice blue eyes and stared quietly up at him.

She smiled when she saw her son's eyes. "My dad had eyes that color; my mom's were just a hair darker. I was born with those eyes, but when I keep in tune with the life energy around us my eyes become blonde."

Blonde eyes? He considered them pale honey colored, but blonde was an apt enough description color-wise – if eyes could even be called blonde. When his son started moving his head back and forth he handed him to his wife. "I think he's hungry."

He watched, a soft smile growing on his lips, as his son figured out how to latch on to his wife's nipple. This too was new for him. Sarah had only known the bottle since Becky had wanted nothing to do with her daughter. He felt peace, contentment, but also a touch of jealousy.

She winced. "I wasn't expecting it to hurt. He suckles much harder than you."

Joel chuckled. "I think our goals are different. I was aiming to pleasure you not empty you."

The nurse later rolled a bassinet in while his wife was sleeping. But he wasn't ready to put his son to bed just yet.

Pam's smile was understanding. "I know how hard it can be to let go, but I need you to fill out this admittance and birth certificate paperwork and then you can go back to holding your son, Mr. Miller."

Joel reluctantly handed the nurse his son and pulled the clip board off the bed where she'd laid it down. He could hear the nurse cooing to his son and his wife's sleep became restless.

"Oh, no…no…you pour little thing."

Joel looked up from the paperwork. His son was just a restless as his mother, but he wasn't crying. "What do you mean?" The nurse, however, looked nearly panicked.

"Your son appears jaundiced, Mr. Miller. If he has jaundice, his liver isn't functioning properly. We need to run some tests immediately. High bilirubin levels can cause irreparable brain damage." She laid the baby down in the bassinet. "If the tests are negative, I'll bring him back right away, if they are positive, I'll take you to where he's being treated. We'll take good care of him, Mr. Miller."

Joel rose. "I want to go with." He hated leaving his wife behind, but she was sleeping, their son wasn't. Not to mention he was worried about these tests and what they might show.

She shook her head as she wheeled the bassinet towards the door. "I'm sorry, Mr. Miller. Parent's aren't allowed in the neonatal lab. We have to avoid the risk of infection. I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise you. You're son is safe with me."

He had just finished filling out the paper work and set the clipboard on the table when his wife shot up out of bed.

"No!" Something was wrong. She'd felt her son's trepidation grow until the fear overwhelmed him. Her baby needed her. She shoved the rolling bed table out of the way, yanked the blanket off and stumbled out of the bed. Her legs threatened to go out from under her, but she locked her knees and darted out of the room.

"What the hell, Angel?" Joel asked in concern as he tried to catch up to her to stop her mad to dash to who the hell knows where. He was thankful the nurses had brought her some panties or she'd have been flashing everyone in the hospital gown.

"Our baby's in danger!" She stopped for a moment, swiveled her head from left to right, trying to get a sense of where he was and then cut to the right and ran down the hall.

Joel felt like a gorilla stomping down the hall to catch up to his wife who seemed to have wings on her feet. "Angel, stop – he's just getting his bilirubin levels checked – the nurse was afraid he might have jaundice." He followed her through a door on the right.

The tech looked up in surprise. "You need to leave, you are contaminating the lab."

She waved her arm in his direction. "You don't see us. You need to go to the bathroom."

His face went slack. "I don't see you. I need to go to the bathroom." He left his station and slipped out the door.

With a nod she hurried to the room at the end of the lab.

Joel shuddered. He knew she was capable of influencing people, but to see her actually do it sent a shiver down his spine. When she couldn't open the door she took a step back and raised her arms. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "You can't just blow the door in; if you are right our son is in there. Let me give it a try first." Though why their son would have taken behind a locked door was beyond him. He twisted the knob and tested it with his shoulder. It appeared to be a standard lock with a hollow door. He was about to knock when he heard his son's cry. He took a step back and kicked the door in. There was a splintering sound and then it slammed against the back wall.

He saw the nurse look up in shock and their baby tied to a board, his face read and pinched with his howls of pain. The nurse had a pierced the back of his hip with a large needle. He rushed forward to shove the nurse away from their son but she rose up into the air, her hands going to her throat. He carefully slipped the needle out of his son's hip and put a bandage on it like the nurse had done on his other hip. "What the hell were you doing to our son?" he yelled as he untied his precious baby boy from the board. He wrapped him back up in the blanket and held him close to his chest. "Daddy's got you, baby boy. She won't hurt you again."

That's when he realized exactly what his wife was doing to the nurse, whose face was turning purple. He saw nothing but cold, hard fury in his wife's expression. "Angel – stop! You're killing her!"

"She hurt our son!"

"And she will pay for it – if you kill her you will go to prison. Our kids will grow up without their mom and I – I can't lose you, Lorianna." His voice cracked with emotion.

She blinked as his words sank in. She released the grip on her power and the woman fell the ground, clutching her throat and gasping for air. A sense of guilt warred with her fury.

"My god," Pam said in a hoarse, scratchy voice. She crab-walked backwards to distance herself from the woman. "You're why…"

"Why what?" Lorianna growled.

Pam rose on her unsteady legs. "You're why his stem cells are reproducing at extraordinary levels. I harvested the cells from the umbilical cord – it would have just been thrown away," she said defensively, "and there is a lot of money that can be earned with healthy stem cells." She shook her head. "I've never seen cells divide so quickly. Those cells are worth a fortune! Even if I'd known you were Darth Vader – I still would have done it. The pay off was worth any price." Her eyes narrowed on the couple and she smiled coldly. "But you aren't going to say a word about what you saw because if you do I won't remain silent about what I saw. And your pretty little life will blow up – the government will hall your ass away to experiment on."

Lorriana was horrified by what she'd learned. Newborns robbed of precious, vital cells just so the woman could make money off of them. "Wrong," she hissed and waved a hand at the woman. "You never saw us. You can't go on doing this you must confess and atone for your actions."

The nurse's face went slack. "You're not here. I can't keep doing this. I need to atone." She pushed the empty bassinet out of the back room. "It's okay little one, I'm sorry I hurt you," she said to the baby only she could see.

Joel shook his head. "Come on, we should beat her back to your room." He stilled when he saw how white his wife was. She had pushed herself too hard too soon. "Can you hold our son?" he asked gently. At her nod, he placed the baby in her arms and then scooped her up into his and hurried out of the lab. He didn't want to risk the nurse snapping out of it if she noticed they weren't in their room.

He wasn't sure he approved of playing with people's minds, but in both instances it was done for a greater good. To protect. He knew his wife had killed in her other life, but he also knew she was not a killer. Death was a last resort. And he knew it would have eaten away at her if she'd killed the nurse. He passed by the nurse and darted into their room. He settled his wife on the bed and pulled the blanket up to cover their son, who was now quiet and content, despite the pain he had to be in.

Pam wheeled the bassinet in next to the bed. "I was wrong about the jaundice. Your son is in good health. Excuse me, please. There is something I need to do." She exited the room, her expression determined.

He watched her leave the room, knowing that she was about to turn herself in and then turned to look at his wife. He could see that her jaw was stiff. When he lowered the blanket he saw his son feasting on her breast. "I wish I could feel him the way you do."

A mischievous smile grew slowly over her lips. "Ha...you want to breast feed him? I don't mind sharing that experience with you. Bare your breast, husband," she teased.

He shot her a corny look of disbelief. "I meant the sensory thing. If you hadn't been able to feel his fear and pain that nurse would never have stopped what she was doing. The hospital and all the parents that have been or would have been affected owe you a thanks for putting a stop to nurse needle – but they will never know."

She smiled softly. "Nurse needle?" she teased and then shook her head. "I do not do anything for thanks or personal gain. Most of the work I've always done has been anonymous. Unless I'm asked directly for help, only the order recognizes my accomplishments. It was the discovery and taking down of Master Ona, a sleeper agent of the sith, that finally earned me the title of Master." She switched her son to her other breast. "He'd been with the jedi for a couple of decades – he trained so many. When I sensed something the masters had not, they chose to accept their own senses rather than mine. It took me time to gather evidence. When I finally confronted him, I recorded our…encounter. Afterwards, the masters reviewed my evidence they were forced to confront their own pride. I do not think they will be so quick to judge next time."

Their eyes caught when they heard the siren pull up to the hospital. "I hope she gives up her accomplices," he muttered.

Her fingertips grazed her son's soft cheek. "I'm sure she will; she has a deep need to atone."

"Oh shit! Tommy! I forgot about calling him." He rang Tommy and explained what happened, from their mad dash to the hospital through the ordeal with Nurse Needle.

Tommy was both shocked and furious. "You've got to be fucking kidding me. Are you going to sue the hospital?"

Joel rubbed his beard. "I honestly haven't thought that far ahead."

"Well you should, Joel. Put whatever you get towards his college fund. He deserves something for what he went through."

"I'll think about it, little brother. If you get the chance, can you swing by the house and lock up? I didn't even have time to shut the front door."

"I'll take care of it, don't you worry. How's Angel and the baby doing?" Tommy inquired.

He smiled when he saw they were both asleep. "They're asleep right now. Give me a sec." He put his phone on the bedside table and slipped his hands under his son. His wife's grip tightened on Geralt. "It's just me," he said quietly. When her hands loosened he scooped up his son, sat back down in the chair and picked up his phone. "Geralt's about twenty-one inches and a hair under nine pounds. They should be released tomorrow."

Tommy bit back a laugh. "You named him after our grandfather?"

"Is that a problem?" Joel asked, trying to stem his irritation. He had been closer to their grandfather than Tommy, because he'd passed away before Tommy was old enough to remember much about him.

"You realize he's going to spend the rest of his life correcting people on how to pronounce his name – most people are going to think it is pronounced with a 'j' sound rather than a 'g' sound," Tommy pointed out.

"Our grandfather survived it fine, Tommy. And it's not exactly a common name – people may just sound it out how it looks. You don't hear them pronouncing Garrett with a 'j'," Joel countered.

"Actually, one of my high school friend's brother was Garrett with a 'j' sound."

Joel rolled his eyes. "Is that your only complaint?"

"No. He's probably going to be made fun of in school," Tommy told him.

Joel released a steadying breath. "And why is that?"

"Cause of the new video game that came out last year."

"And why would I care about a video game?" Joel asked with exasperation.

Tommy chuckled. "The main character is a witcher named Geralt with special abilities that help him defeat monsters. So baby Geralt is likely to be called witch-boy or witcher-boy. It's a very popular game, big brother."

Joel shook his head. "I don't think he's going to care. Geralt is like his mother."

Tommy laughed. "You're shitting me! So he _is_ a little witch-boy. How do you know?"

"He can sense things, Tommy. And Angel can sense his connection to the – uh…energy." He yawned. "I'm going to lie down while I can. I'll see you tomorrow."

He laid his son in the bassinet and rolled him next to Angel so she would have easy access to him and then slid into the bed next to her. The baby didn't cry all night, though that was likely due to his wife knowing when he was hungry. Since she was breastfeeding there wasn't much he could do besides hold her.

-BREAK TWELVE-

She didn't go back to work for Teiner's after her six weeks were up, at least not in the role of waitress. Instead she was allowed to take over the bookkeeping position when Jason had to stop working for medical reasons. At least that job she could do from home. She now had four groups of four that she was training, two groups on Tuesdays and two on Thursdays. She had one early and one late class on each of those days and there was Sarah's soccer practice on Monday nights. Every other Saturday she had all four of her training classes meet up for friendly matches. She was now making enough money that she was able to enroll in online business classes so she would be able to help Joel with the business he wanted to start up. Once they got that off the ground, she would give up her position at Teiner's.

Mama Nell and Papa Will had been constant visitors since Geralt's birth.

By the time Geralt was a year old and she was slowly weaning him onto a sippy cup. He took to it right away, but she was going slow to make it easier for her breasts to handle the reduced production of milk. She'd learned early on how painful, hard and hot they could get if the feeding schedule was altered.

She'd also spent a lot of time researching and working with Earth crystals trying to find at least one that would work as a lightsaber crystal. She found two so far. The smoky quartz and the amethyst. Neither were a color she preferred for lightsabers, but one had to make do with what one had. She also removed the activation switches in her lightsabers and modified her hilt with internal switches. She did this so that no one else could turn it on unless they were telekinetic. She didn't want to risk anyone's safety if they were found. But the old switches could at least be used on any new lightsabers created.

She'd wanted to make lightsabers for all of her family members, but so far she'd only found two crystals that her lightsabers could power on. So for now, she would make two, verify they work safely and then disassemble them and have Joel and Tommy assemble them. They needed to know how they worked in case they had to repair them.

There were certain modifications she wanted to implement. She needed to make sure they were waterproof, had a pressure grip so that if they were dropped they would shut off and she also wanted them to lock to a single user via thumb scanner, which she was going to position under the switch, so when they went to turn it on it would read their thumb and ignite.

Getting the supplies had been much harder here than where she came from. She'd had to dissemble her lightsaber, take pictures of all the individual parts along with exact measurements and go through three different companies to special order the parts. And because they were special order she had to order in bulk. She wasn't sure what she was going to do with 50-100 of everything, but at least she got a cheaper bulk rate.

She was not familiar with the metals and rubbers here, at least not with regards to how they would function as a lightsaber hilt but, as with the crystals, she had little choice. She had chosen to go with a tungsten alloy because that was what her husband's wedding ring had been made of and it had withstood the daily abuse he'd given it without a scratch. The pommel of the hilt was made of sharpened cone of tungsten, to allow for blunt force. There was a one inch band below that encircling the hilt, protected by a raised lip of tungsten, that would charge the power cell with solar energy. Rubber seals kept the hilt waterproof once the two halves of the hilt were locked together. The blade emitter dilated open when turned on and closed if dropped or turned off to ensure waterproofing.

With Geralt busy playing in his crib she set one of each of the new parts on the table along with the smoky quartz crystal.

Sarah watched with excitement. "What keeps the blade short?"

Lorianna stilled her hands. It was complicated. "I'll do my best to try to explain, but the process is complicated. The crystal's energy is sent through a series of field energizers and modulation circuits in the hilt that further focus and strengthen the beam, creating a tight beam of energy plasma. The beam extends to the length the controls are set for and then arc back, due the containment field system, into a negatively charged fissure ringing the emitter, where it is channeled back to the power cell, completing the circuit. That field is what allows it to interact with what it touches rather than passing through it."

Sarah laughed softly. "I'll pretend I know what half that means. I think I prefer space magic. What gives it power?"

"Space magic," she said with a wink at her little girl. "When the lightsaber is ignited it fuels itself, due to the energy loop. But it does require a rechargeable cell for the ignition switch. I've had to make a few adjustments as there are different materials here than I'm used to working with. But, in theory, it should still work." She looked up when Joel and Tommy walked through the back door. "Good timing. Sit down you two and watch me put this together. Then I will dismantle it and the two of you can put your lightsabers together. You should know your lightsaber from the inside out. If anything needs adjusted or repaired, you'll know how to put it back together."

Joel looked at his brother and nodded. He was almost afraid to hope it would work. His wife had been trying to find components and parts for the last year. He and Tommy had been practicing with Angel's lightsabers set to stun and he had hoped that one day he would have one of his own.

"Yes!" Tommy said with a broad smile. He sat down at the table and used his best Yoda impersonation. "Do or do not – there is no try."

"All right now," Joel said with a slight wave of negation to his brother as he joined them at the table. They watched her carefully as she built the lightsaber.

"I normally don't build these by hand, but since you don't have access to the energy I do – I wasn't going to ask you do something I'd never done. As you can see there are three pieces left over. One is the thumb scanner – if I had put it on I wouldn't be able to test the blade. The other pieces are the solar band and the rubber grip which will stretch over the hilt and hold it snug, but those two will be the last to go on. Ready?" she asked holding the lightsaber away from them. "Crossing fingers, toes and eyes," she mumbled and flipped the switch. A pale copper blade hissed out. She ignored the cheers and focused on the weight in her hand as she made slow movements. It was a little heavier than hers but well balanced. The emitter handled the beam well and the hilt was not overheating. She lowered the intensity of the blade down to stun and switched off the lightsaber with a relieved smile. "Now, watch as I dissemble it."

Once the weapon was in pieces again she set them down in front of her husband and pulled out the carton she'd put the pieces for Tommy's lightsaber in and handed them to her brother. "Gentleman, put your lightsabers together and become knights of the Miller Table."

She found that she hadn't had to give them much direction. There might have been several pieces involved, but they fit together like a puzzle. "Okay, now slide the sensor into the groove on the inside of the hilt and plug in the small cord. You'll do the same with the solar bands. Once that is complete lock the two halves together and test the blade. If it ignites and the hilt doesn't get warm then you can slide on the rubber sleeve. It will be tight, but it's meant to be. She smiled when the blades hissed on. Tommy's was creamy white with a vague wash of lavender. She clapped. "Job well done! If the hilts don't heat up then slide your grips on. The back of the hilt is magnetized below the solar band. If you want a magbelt, I can make you one; otherwise you can use the clip feature. If you will notice the pommel comes to a point – I designed it that way so you could use it for blunt force if you need to break a window…or crack a skull. Though, the latter is frowned upon," she teased.

"This is fu – this is amazing," Tommy corrected. "Too bad we can't show them off," he said with a drawn out sigh.

"Maybe not, but you can practice with them in the garage. Technically, you can show the hilt off, no one would be able to turn it on but you, so they wouldn't know it was real. You'd just have to make sure it's kept locked up when it's not with you, whether someone could turn it on or not, I'd hate to have it stolen."

"I can't wait to get mine, mommy," Sarah said in a dreamy voice.

She settled her hand over Sarah's and rubbed it. "I know, sweetie, but that may take some time. I have to find more crystals and I need to figure out a way of making it lighter and smaller – maybe a shoto or you'd wear yourself out in a few swings – the no toe look is just not you."

Sarah giggled. "Maybe I'd start a new fad." When her mother looked at her in horror, her giggles broke into laughter. "Can I invite Kate and Lindsey over to stay the night? We want to play on the PS3."

Lorianna grinned at her ten year old daughter and nodded. "Of course, just keep it down once your brother goes to sleep."

"Yay!" She gave her mother a hug and ran up the stairs to her room to call her friends.

Joel felt his chair move and blinked in surprise.

"Da-da-da," Geralt cooed and blew bubbles with his lips, his arms outstretched.

"Geralt, it's not nice to pull people around. Don't do it," Lorianna stated firmly.

He blew more spit bubbles and grinned. "Da-da-da-da…"

He looked at his blonde haired, ice-blue eyed son and rose from the table to kneel down next to the playpen. "Your mommy is right, baby boy. Da-da is enough to get my attention." He grimaced when the smell hit him. "You know, you could call Tom-Tom when you want your diaper changed."

Tommy raised his hands to ward off the suggestion. "No – no…da-da is the perfect man for the job."

Joel changed his son, dropped the diaper in the diaper genie and picked him up. He settled back at the table and bounced him on his knee, making funny faces at him to make him giggle.

Joel was a great dad. She knew he hadn't been able to spend much time with Sarah as a baby but there was no doubt her husband had a lot of love for their children. As soon as they'd gotten home from the hospital the first thing he'd done was shave his face baby-smooth so he wouldn't hurt their son's sensitive skin. She had to admit she liked the fact that a smooth face showed off his angular jaw and very kissable lips. She might have missed the way that short beard felt between her legs, but seeing how handsome he was without it – it was worth the cost.

Once the girls went upstairs to Sarah's room and their son fell asleep the adults went to the garage for a bit of sparring. Lorianna elected to separate her lightsabers when she faced off against them. Their bodies were balanced and honed from the last year and a half of training and their skill with the lightsaber had improved dramatically. She was advancing their training from self-defense forms to the offensive Form V. She started with Djem So to teach them how to block attacks and use their opponent's momentum against them in a counterattack. Shien would come later for it would serve them no purpose with wooden lightsaber canes because blaster bolts – bullets would shatter the cane.

She had them training with both their left hands and their right hands – if their right hands were injured she still wanted them to be able to defend themselves. She parried slowly to give them time to get used to the new counterattack moves. She had them practice the moves repeatedly until they were able to follow through without thinking about it. She then began to switch up her moves forcing them to adapt and improvise with what they learned. She pivoted, her blades arcing out and twisting, their lightsabers struck from their hands. "Now square off against each other," she said once they'd retrieved their lightsabers.

She walked around them, pointing out flaws that could be exploited or countered until she felt her son wake up. "I need to go in and feed Geralt. Keep on playing, boys. It's obvious you enjoy shocking each other," she teased. At the lowest setting it felt like a static-electricity shock, like you could get from walking on carpet.

Back inside she settled in the rocking chair Joel had made after Geralt's birth to feed him. He was down to three breast feedings a day. When he finished she put him down to play. With walk-through baby gates at the stairs, the den and the kitchen, he pretty much had the rest of the downstairs to roam.

While Garalt was busy throwing toys and pulling them to him with the energy he was learning to use she sat down at the kitchen table with her laptop and flipped it open to work on her business management class. After she completed the next section she lowered the screen and joined her son on the floor to roll a ball between them with nothing but the energy around them.

"That is so damned cool," Tommy said as he walked in from the garage ahead of Joel and saw them rolling the ball without hands. He grabbed a beer and plopped down on the overstuffed recliner chair.

Lorianna looked over at him in surprise. "I thought you'd be rushing out of here to get ready for your date."

Tommy grunted. "I'm flying solo tonight. My date called it off – apparently, she found something a little more serious."

She grinned. "Good, then you can meet Laura. She moved into the house across the street. I met her a couple of weeks ago. She is also a new padawan. I was hoping to get a chance to introduce you two. I think you're perfect for each other."

Tommy blinked. "You think we're – oh no," he said as he waved a hand in negation, "no blind dates. You know I don't do serious, Angel." He rose and stretched with a yawn. "I think I'll head to bed early tonight."

Lorianna covered her son's eyes so he couldn't see her doing something she'd told him not to do and sent a wave of power at Tommy to push him back into the chair. "Oh, stop. It won't hurt you to meet her."

"It might…" Tommy whined.

"Man up, little brother," Joel teased, "and grow a pair."

"Funny, Joel. I may need to grow a pair, but at least I do not keep them in my wife's purse," Tommy shot back trying to get a rise out of his brother.

His brother's heckling didn't faze him a bit. "She takes _very_ good care of them."

Tommy laughed and shook his head. "You're no fun to tease anymore."

She'd gotten lost in their conversation. "I take good care of what?" she asked.

"Daddy's balls," Sarah said with a giggle as she and her friends descended the stairs. She was bringing him his guitar, hoping he would sing for them when she'd shushed her friends to listen to their conversation.

"Sarah!" Joel said in surprise, his cheeks growing warm.

Lorianna's cheeks bloomed with color. Now the conversation made sense. She was amused and embarrassed at the same time.

Sarah laughed and handed her father his guitar. "The PS3 needs a system update. I was hoping you'd sing something while we wait."

Joel took his guitar from her and glanced at the other two girls that were nodding with big smiles on their faces.

Sarah sat down next to her mother and brother on the floor while her friends sat next to her father on the sofa.

Tommy groaned. "You know he's going to sing a sickening love song? That's all he sings anymore," he groused playfully.

Joel settled the guitar on his leg and winked at his daughter before looking at his wife. With the strumming of his fingers a soft melody filled the room.

 _All I am, all I'll be_ _  
_ _Everything in this world, all that I'll ever need_ _  
_ _Is in your eyes, shining at me_ _  
_ _When you smile I can feel all my passion unfolding_ __

 _Your hand brushes mine_ _  
_ _And a thousand sensations seduce me 'cause_ __

 _I do, cherish you_ _  
_ _For the rest of my life_ _  
_ _You don't have to think twice_ _  
_ _I will, love you still, from the depths of my soul_ _  
_ _It's beyond my control_ _  
_ _I've waited so long to say this to you_ _  
_ _If you're asking do I love you this much, I do_ __

 _In my world before you_ _  
_ _I lived outside my emotions_ _  
_ _Didn't know where I was going_ _  
_ _Until that day I found you_ _  
_ _How you opened my life to a new paradise_ __

 _In a world torn by change_ _  
_ _Still with all of my heart, until my dying day_ __

 _I do, cherish you_ _  
_ _For the rest of my life_ _  
_ _You don't have to think twice_ _  
_ _I will, love you still, from the depths of my soul_ _  
_ _It's beyond my control_ _  
_ _I've waited so long to say this to you_ _  
_ _If you're asking do I love you this much, yes I do_ __

 _I've waited so long to say this to you_ _  
_ _So, if you're asking if I love you this much, I do_ _  
_ _Ooooh, I do….._

The girls clapped. "Another, daddy."

Tommy groaned dramatically.

"Fine. One more," Joel agreed. He adjusted one of the strings and a new melody played out.

 _Lady, I'm your knight in shining armor and I love you  
You have made me what I am and I am yours…  
My love, there's so many ways I want to say "I love you"  
Let me hold you in my arms forever more…_

 _You have gone and made me such a fool  
I'm so lost in your love…  
And oh, we belong together  
Won't you believe in my song?_

 _Lady, for so many years I thought I'd never find you  
You have come into my life and made me whole…  
Forever, let me wake to see you each and every morning  
Let me hear you whisper softly in my ear…_

 _In my eyes, I see no one else but you  
There's no other love like our love  
And yes, oh yes, I'll always want you near me  
I've waited for you for so long…_

 _Lady, your love's the only love I need  
And beside me is where I want you to be  
'Cause, my love, there's somethin' I want you to know  
You're the love of my life, you're my lady…_

Lorianna's heart fluttered. She knew her husband chose the songs he sang carefully. Songs that would express what he was feeling and they never failed to warm her heart into a gooey mess.

 _My love, there's so many ways I want to say "I love you"  
Let me hold you in my arms forever more…_

' _Cause you're the love of my life, you're my husband…_

Kate leaned into Lindsey. "That's so romantic."

Sarah looked up at her mother. "I didn't know you could sing, mommy," Sarah remarked in surprise.

"That's because I can't," she said, booping her daughter's nose. "Just be lucky your ears didn't bleed," she teased.

Joel looked at his wife thoughtfully. "Sarah's right, honey. You do have an amazing voice."

She saw her son point towards the door. "I know, baby. But we have to wait for them to knock," she said quietly. "Your family – that makes you biased. I doubt you'd ever tell me I sing like a toad," she teased.

Tommy rose and moved towards the door, he was almost there when he heard the knock. He swung the door open but stood there speechless when he saw the woman at the door. She had long, golden brown waves of hair, the ends curling enticingly around her nipples. Her eyes were brown stars on a bed of green, her beautiful face lightly tanned with sexy as hell dimples peeking from her cheeks.

Lorianna rose from the floor to see what had Tommy so speechless. "Laura. Come on in. I wasn't sure what time you would be able to make it over."

Laura winked at the attractive dark blonde man at the door as she stepped around him with her basket in hand.

Lorianna chuckled. "The speechless man at the door is my brother, Tommy. My husband, Joel, is on the sofa with my daughter's friends Lindsey and Kate. My daughter Sarah is on the floor with Geralt. Everyone, this is my friend, Laura Landry, who moved into the house across the street." She looked down at the picnic basket. "Were you going on a picnic?" she asked curiously.

Laura waved at Geralt and laughed softly. "I don't think they'd appreciate it if I ate them for dinner. I wanted to get a puppy, because I didn't want to live alone, and the breeder was in dire straights financially, so I bought the last three puppies and was hoping to find local owners for the other two," she admitted. "And by the way, I'm not family and I think you have a beautiful voice."

Sarah pulled her brother onto her lap as her mother sat down on the floor next to her and patted the floor for Laura to take a seat. "See? Told you."

Tommy cleared his throat, closed the door and chose to sit on the floor next to Laura.

The girls jumped up to find a place on the floor as well and Joel found himself alone on the sofa with a grin on his face. He wondered if he had the same look on his face when he first saw Angel that his brother now had on his face.

"They are Dutch Shepards," Laura explained as she pushed down the handles and lifted the lid on its hinge. She smiled when the puppies blinked at the light and yawned. She pulled out each pup and sat them in her lap. The blackest one, with pale golden eyes and only a few amber colored brindle stripes wriggled off her lap to nose Angel and then wobbled over to investigate the baby. The lightest pup, which was primarily amber in color with a dark face and a few darker stripes, the one she was keeping, ambled over to crawl into Tommy's lap. She grinned. The pup had good taste. She wouldn't mind crawling into his lap either. The third and full brindle pup, went to sniff out Kate and Lindsey before crawling into Kate's lap. "It looks like the puppies have chosen who they want," she said with a soft laugh. "But you'll have to come to my place, Tommy, if you want to see Ra…cause I'm not giving him up," she teased.

Tommy quirked a brow. "You can see the sun god likes me. Maybe you should come to my place to see him," he countered.

Her brows rose. "You would leave a woman alone and defenseless?" she asked in an innocent voice.

Tommy's mouth opened and closed and then he nodded. She was right. That house had a reputation. "You are right. I'll come to your place." He rubbed Ra's head. "Between the two of us, you won't be alone or defenseless. Do you know about the house?" he asked quietly.

"That's why I bought it. The idea of it being haunted was fascinating – that and I wanted a cheaper place to live," she admitted. Her husband died four years ago and while he left her plenty of money, there was no need to continue living the lifestyle she had been living. She'd met Angel the day she'd moved in and since she didn't have to go to work she ended up spending a lot of time with Angel and Geralt. Between the pictures all over the house and Angel talking about them all the time she felt like she already knew her family. When she found out Angel taught jedi self defense, she had to sign up. She was a huge Star Wars nut.

Interesting. "Now that you live there, do you think it's haunted?" he asked.

"Can I go call my mom to see if I can keep the puppy?" Kate asked.

"Sure, honey. Go right ahead," Lorianna told her.

"I know it is," Laura said with a smile. "Angel came over after I moved in and she said she could sense the presence of a child but she sensed only youthful energy, nothing evil. I agree with that. I hear noises occasionally and things get moved around a bit, but nothing frightening."

Tommy waggled his dark blonde eyebrows at her. "Anytime you need a big, strong man about," he flexed his arm muscles in an exaggerated pose, "just give me a ring."

She raised her hand to her lips. "Oh my…nice muscles, but a ring is moving rather quickly," Laura teased.

Tommy just blinked. "You know what I meant. A bottle opened…a stuck door jam…a massage…"

"Oooh…I do miss massages. I used to have a masseuse come to my home weekly. You're in for it now, Tommy! Thanks for volunteering." She stretched out her kinks. "Let me know when you're available, because I've got three weeks of kinks built up."

Lorianna winked at Joel. She knew the two would hit it off.

One corner of his lips pulled up in a lopsided grin. "It just so happens that my plans fell through for the evening, consider my hands at your disposal – if you've got nothing else planned for tonight."

Now _that_ she was looking forward to. She really did miss her massages. "Your hands are at my disposal? Better than I'd hoped for, mister big, strong man. I have a leak in my roof…" At his groan she laughed. "I'm kidding. My roof does have a leak, but I wouldn't want you up there at night, especially not when you could be massaging my poor, neglected body. I'll hire someone for the leak."

"I'll take a look at it tomorrow, it may well be an easy fix," Tommy told her. He had to bite his tongue to keep from suggesting massaging her right now, because sure as hellfire his hands wanted to explore – er… massage her poor, neglected body.

Laura looked at him in surprise. "I was ribbing you, Tommy. I'll hire someone to do that."

Tommy shook his head. "There's no need for that. I'm a carpenter. It's what I do." When her lips parted he placed a finger against them. "I'll take a look at it tomorrow, Laura."

"Mommy…daddy…can we keep him?" Sarah asked, her blue eyes pleading.

When Joel looked at his wife she nodded. "Sure we can, baby girl," he told her.

"What do you want to name him?" Lorianna asked.

Her grin was nearly ear to ear. "Sweet! His name will be Ryker. R-Y-K-E-R." Sarah said with a nod and rubbed her new puppy's tummy."He's perfect! He has mommy's eyes!"

Kate came rushing back, her face aglow. "My parents said I could keep him! And I think all the brothers should have an 'R' name. Hmmm…Rubeus…Rhody….Rocco…Rodan…Revan – Yes! Revan, like from KOTOR!"

"I love that game!" Lindsey beamed with excitement. "Wish my dog had a cool name."

"She does, silly. Poor Jinx always seems to find trouble- she has the perfect name!" Sarah assured her.

-BREAK THIRTEEN-

In January, after dating Laura for seven months, Tommy moved out of his apartment and into Laura's house. On Saturday, June 16th, 2012 they had a lovely church wedding. Laura wasn't religious, but her family was so she chose to honor them in that way.

Two months after his brother's marriage Joel became a certified professional builder. With Laura's investment backing he had the funds he needed to get Miller Brothers Custom Homes off the ground. Lorianna worked closely with Laura on the daily business aspects and handling possible clients so their husbands could do what they did best – design and build.

She continued to train padawans, not only because she enjoyed it and wanted to keep herself well-honed, but also to have a steady income while they waited for their business to start turning over a profit. Their first house had already been built, it took about six months to complete and they were about halfway through on a second house.

Sometimes she just wished she could slow time down. The kids were growing up so fast. Sarah had turned twelve this year, Geralt would be turning three in a couple of weeks, and Ryker had recently turned two.

They continued the Saturday afternoon barbeques, but it had grown into a much grander affair involving four households, so they rotated Saturdays so that each household hosted the event once each month. Last Saturday the barbeque had been held at Marci and Billy Richards house. The host always provided the meat. The other three households worked out who would bring the booze/soda, who would bring the snacks/desert and who would bring the vegetables to be grilled. Kate had dragged the girls upstairs almost immediately because she had been eager to show her friends the new game she'd gotten for her PS3. Ra, Revan and Ryker, the Dutch shepherds, chased each other around the yard with Jinx, the golden retriever, hot on their heels until they wore themselves out with big, panting grins on their faces. Every other Saturday Mike,Teesha and their two year old son, Jaxton, would make the drive from Houston. She could not think of a better way to spend a Saturday.

Two nights later, Lorianna looked in the bathroom mirror, made a small cut and used tweezers to pull the tiny rod out from under her skin with a frown and dropped it into the trash can. She and Joel had wanted to wait five years before having another child. After she weaned Geralt they used condoms until, a little over a year and a half later, one broke. They had to rethink their options, so she'd opted for the implant, which she'd been on for the last four months. Laura had told her about the implant, it was what she used and she loved it. But it was the first week in May and she could already feel the life inside her, which meant she likely got pregnant around two months ago. The baby would arrive a little more than a year sooner than they'd hoped.

Sarah had taken Ryker over to Lindsey's to play after school and Joel wouldn't be home for another couple of hours, so she went through her latest batch of crystals. Six out of twenty worked. That was her highest yield to date in any one batch. In the last four years she'd been able to complete twenty two lightsabers, this would make twenty eight, one of which she'd given to Laura when she was far enough along in her training. She wasn't sure what she'd do with them all and she wasn't sure she'd ever find enough suitable crystals to make all one hundred of them, but considering what she had to work with she was well pleased with twenty eight.

She flipped open her laptop and listed the rest of the crystals on ebay. With that done she turned off the laptop and carried the completed lightsabers and bag of crystals upstairs to her bedroom. She settled the bag of crystals on her dresser and added the six new lightsabers to the locked bag that held the others.

She heard Joel's truck and hurried down the stairs to greet him with a hug.

The hug was nothing new, but hugging him the moment he walked in the door was. Not that he was complaining, not by a long shot.

"We need to talk," she said quietly.

He exhaled slowly. That was never good news. "What happened?"

A small smile played on her lips that didn't quite reach her eyes. "It's nothing….bad….exactly - just unexpected," she said as she took his hand and led him to the sofa. Once seated, she looked down at their joined hands for a moment before she looked up to meet his eyes, which were mostly light green today. "The implant didn't work, Joel." There was confusion in his eyes. "You're going to be a father again," she explained.

It took him a moment to figure out what she'd meant. He realized the importance of her words just as she was telling him she was pregnant. Besides her, his children meant everything to him. The thought of having another baby warmed his heart. He pulled her onto his lap and held her. "I love hearing those words from your lips," he told her in a voice thick with emotion. Things might get a little tighter, financially, but the business was doing well. They'd make do.

She breathed a sigh of relief and snuggled into him. "I know we were going to wait another year…"

He tilted her chin up and brushed his lips against hers. "That doesn't matter. I'm as happy now as I was when you told me about Geralt." He was going to be a daddy again. He knew he was grinning like an idiot, but he didn't particularly care. But his thoughts spun in a different direction when her hungry lips found his. "Shower with me…" he murmured when the kiss broke. He didn't want to make love to her with a day's worth of sweat and grime covering him.

"I'm already wet…" she purred.

His breath came out in a pant and his pants grew uncomfortably tight. He rose from the sofa with her in his arms and carried her up the stairs.

Later that night, when Tommy, Laura and Ra came over they learned that Laura was pregnant too. The babies would likely be due around the same time. December Millers on the way. While Tommy was a little overwhelmed, Joel thought he'd do just fine.

-BREAK FOURTEEN-

For the past couple of months there were sporadic mentions of some odd ailment outbreaks in South America, the first of which was in Brazil. But as of yesterday it was as if the curtain came down. Lorianna had not found one broadcast concerning the matter. She would have thought that there'd have at least been a report that said everything was under control or there were no more instances. Something. Anything. But there was nothing. There was one site on the web that had been rounding up all the news reports, but it was offline. She frowned and lowered the screen of her laptop. Maybe whatever it was _did_ just go away.

She picked up the house phone handset when it rang. "Hello?"

"Angel – are my parents there?"

"Amber? No…they aren't. I saw their SUV leave a couple of hours ago."

Amber gripped her cell tighter. "Damn it – I buy them a cell phone and they never use it. Sorry. We're on a plane headin' to Austin–Bergstrom International Airport. Delta 2245. We'll be there in about two and a half hours. If they get home – please let them know."

Something was off in Amber's voice. "Are you okay?" The silence screamed.

Amber bit her lip. "Not really…look, I gotta go, we're taking off."

Lorianna frowned. "Okay, but if they don't come back soon, I'll head out to pick you up. Have a safe flight."

Amber looked at her husband and sighed. "Thank you, Angel. Bye."

Lorianna set the phone on the table. Even if she hadn't been able to sense Amber's distress, it had been apparent in her voice. Something was going on. Amber was frightened. They may not be the closest of friends, but she'd known her long enough to know Amber didn't frighten easily and that made her uneasy.

She settled on the floor with her back against the recliner and waited for Ryker to join her. It didn't take long. When he laid his head on her lap she stroked him and hummed softly until he fell asleep. She stayed with him for another few minutes and then slipped out from under him to go check on the kids.

She leaned against the doorframe watching the kids play a video game. Or rather, Sarah was doing the playing and Geralt was watching raptly.

Geralt turned his head to see him mommy. He smiled and pointed to the TV. "Look, mommy – sackgirl! Kate is there too!"

"Oh, wow - look at them go!" She said with a big smile. "Is Kate the one with the funny looking head – thing?" she teased.

"Mommy!" Sarah said with a laugh. "That's me! I'm an arquilian from Men In Black. Kate is the fluffy angel."

Lorianna hopped onto the bed behind them, causing the kids to giggle when they bounced. She crossed her legs and watched them play until it was time to call to see if Mama Nell and Papa Will were home. She looked out the window near the front door and saw their car drive past. She hurried out the front door to get to them before they pulled into their garage.

Papa Will hugged her when he got out of the car. "What lit a fire under your tail, Angel?" he asked with a grin.

She tucked her hair behind her ear. "A call from Amber. They will be arriving soon at the airport. They wanted to know if you could pick them up." She smiled at Lindsey. "Linds can come over and play." She winked at the little girl. "You can hop on the playstation 3 in the living room and join Kate and Sarah in Little Big Planet 2, if you want. Go grab Jinx; she can come play with Ryker too."

Lindsey didn't even wait for her parents to agree, she rushed into the open garage to go get Jinx.

Mama Nell hugged Angel. "That's odd, Will – she never said she was coming. Did she say anything else?"

Lorianna shook her head. There was no need to tell them that Amber had said she wasn't okay – they didn't need to be distracted with worry on the ride to the airport. "She didn't have time to say much, they were already on the plane and were about to take off. But it sounded like it was a last minute decision. She's on Delta flight 2245."

A smile bloomed on Mama Nell's face. "Thanks, honey. We'll go get them. I can't wait to see baby Darcy! I bet she's getting so big!"

She watched them get back into the car, close the garage and waved to them as they drove off towards Austin. Not even a minute later Lindsey returned through the front door with a happy golden retriever with full butt wiggles. "Come on you two – I'll race you!" She, of course, let them win – but only by a hair.

With the dogs chasing each other in the back yard and Lindsey playing on the PS3, she sat back down at the table to go over the Miller Brothers accounts. When she finished her task she went into the backyard and knelt onto the grass in front of two piles of stones and began the mindless exercise of using her power to move the stones from one side to the other. The stones were small, so it was simple. She used it for endurance training, because using the energy became exhaustive over time, which was one of the reasons jedi carried lightsabers. Unlike the movies, the lightsaber wasn't a jedi's first line of defense, it was their last. Ideally, you would not allow an enemy to get that close to you unless you were exhausted, wounded or knew the fight would be a long one and you wanted to conserve energy.

In between stone moving she used her power to toss a ball for the dogs to catch. When they dropped it in front of her she smiled and threw it again. At least she didn't have to touch the slobbery thing. When she heard Joel come into the backyard she threw the ball one more time and rose to hug him. "We need to talk."

He blinked and laughed. "Are you going to tell me we are having twins?" he teased. The last time she'd told him 'we need to talk' it was to let him know she was pregnant.

"Funny," she said with a light laugh. "No twins – though it is possible. I had a twin, but she died from a fever when we were newborns," she warned him as she took his hand and led him back inside. " _That_ is what I wanted to talk to you about," she said when she heard the knock on their door. She noticed Lindsey had gone upstairs and was free to talk. "Amber and her family flew in last minute today and something is wrong. Perhaps, they are here to tell us what's going on."

After Joel opened the door there was a round of hugs and little Darcy with her bouncing pigtails went upstairs to join the rest of the children.

Amber frowned. "Is Tommy and Laura home? I only want to say all this once."

"I'll call," Lorianna told her as she went to grab her cell off the kitchen table. After asking them to come on over, she laid her phone back down and help Joel move two chairs across from the recliner. Joel took her hand, led her to the recliner and pulled her down on his lap. She had intended to talk to him about getting another sofa, but had spaced it off. They just didn't have enough furniture for how full their house could get.

When Tommy and Laura came in, after a round of greetings, they settled onto the chairs and looked at Amber.

Amber exhaled slowly. "What I'm going to tell you can't go any further. We've signed a non-disclosure agreement when we resigned from the CDC."

"What?" Nellie asked in a shocked voice. "I didn't know y'all resigned…but why? I don't understand."

"We weren't the only ones to resign and that's why we left so quickly. I feared they would find a way to detain us. And that is why I wanted to meet here instead of our house. Probably should have met at Laura and Tommy's house, but what's done is done. If it sounds like I'm being paranoid, it's cause I am.

"With good reason," Mark said as he patted her thigh.

She nodded to him. "I fielded a call from a US funded lab in Brazil. The man on the phone was a lead scientist – he wasn't supposed to call us but, apparently, a guilty conscience is a heavy burden, even for one in his line of work. What he told me..." she shook her head and cleared her throat. "They were trying to make a biological weapon from Ophiocordyceps unilaterlis – that's a fungal growth that takes over the brain of ants so that they lose most higher functioning abilities. The fungus grows out of the ant until it reaches a point that it can release spores that would infect more ants." She rubbed her icy hands together. "Normally, this is of no concern to us. Except, this scientist explained how they were bioengineering it to work on humans, more specifically to target people with certain genetic markers." She paused for a moment and inhaled deeply. "His speech became more difficult to decipher because he was so distraught, but what I got out of it was that there was an 'accident' at the lab. The lab went on lockdown….but not before those responsible for the accident fled. He said 'all is lost…lost…' then some kind of gibberish I couldn't make out. I heard a gunshot then nothing," she said in a tight, strained voice.

Lorianna felt numb. "Those strange outbreaks that started in Brazil….they're related, aren't they?"

Amber took her husband's hand and nodded. "And the governments are silencing anyone that speaks out about what is going on. They are trying to avoid wide-spread panic and riots. Even now the national guard and army are spreading out to all major ports for 'practice drills'."

"How is it spread?" Tommy asked quietly.

Mark shook his head. "We don't know everything about it yet. We know that it affects humans. We assume they were not successful in pinpointing any genetic markers. We've seen no instances of outbreaks among wildlife yet. The reports we were getting showed that once infected the victim succumbed quickly and became overly aggressive to the point of attacking or killing others. We've studied the fungus as it relates to the insects it infects, but this mutation doesn't appear to work in the exact same way, so we do not know what to expect. We do know that there have been a couple of bodies found with fungal growths that had already released spores. We can assume that only those killed by the infection will release spores as there have been no live victims spotted with spore stalks. We also know it is spreading further than spore release alone could justify, so assume it can also be spread via contact – most likely, bodily fluids. But right now we just do not have enough empirical data to form a theory, we can only hypothesize."

Nellie latched onto Will's hand. "Can it reach us? Is that why you resigned?"

Amber bit her lip. "I fear it will. I don't know how they can keep it contained; there are just too many variables to cover. I couldn't bear to be away from you if the worst happens. As Ian Malcom once said, 'your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn't stop to think if they should'. As if there were not enough ways to kill each other, they thought they'd play god and make a new one."

Mark shot his wife a tight smile. "Ian also believed in chaos theory and I think that pretty much explains what's happening. Essentially, small changes in complex systems can have big, unpredictable effects. Cordyceps basically controlled out of control populations of certain insects – now it has been unleashed on humans and we are waiting to see what those big, unpredictable effects will be."

Joel placed a protective hand over his wife's belly. "What do you suppose it's capable of doing to us?"

Mark grunted. "That is the question. If we are lucky, it will act similar to the flu – some will fall and then it will fade away. If we are not so lucky it will do to us what smallpox once did – drastically reduce our population. If we are unlucky…it will exterminate us," he told them bluntly.

"Ain't you a ray of sunshine," Tommy groused and then grunted when Laura elbowed his side.

Mark shrugged. "We can hope we are not unlucky."

Will frowned. "Honey, you said it can be spread by spores. I understand how bodily fluids infect us, but how do spores infect us?"

She raked a hand through her long, golden brown hair, shoving it away from her face. "Fungus grows in warm, damp places. So you would have to inhale the spores through your nose or mouth to become infected. The spores, themselves, are far too large to be absorbed through the skin – though they may get in through an injury, so make sure you bind your wounds. Just remember- don't suck your fingers or pick your nose until after you've washed your hands if you've been exposed to the spores."

She grinned at the chorus of 'eww' and 'gross'. "So, if it does reach us, we are best off movin' to colder climates." She looked at Angel. "Maybe that cabin of yours in Alaska is still standing."

"Alaska?" Will asked with a shiver. "That gives a whole new meaning to blue balls."

Amber shook her head and laughed with the others. "That's the whole point, papa...too cold for your balls – too cold for the fungus." She squeezed her husband's hand. "Mark and I talked it over on the flight. While it's great to hope for the best, we should not be caught with our pants down. We should at least start preparing for the worst. Collect non-perishable and canned goods, durable clothing, masks, batteries, flashlights, weapons, candles, lighters, first aid kits – that sort of thing."

"Makes sense," Joel agreed.

Angel looked at the four on the sofa. "Starting tomorrow, I want all four of you to come over to start self-defense training. I'm not asking – I'm ordering. And I want you here every other day. No arguments. I don't care what time we do the training – but if we are preparing for the worst, then I want to know you four can protect yourselves and this has nothing to do with handling a blaster – I mean a gun. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am," Will said with a salute. "Consider us your newest padawans."

Mark grinned. "Linds told us all about your training. She loves it. Will we get those wooden lightsaber canes too?" he asked eagerly.

Angel grinned and nodded. "Of course you will. But you will be training three times as hard as the girls, so be prepared for a lot of hot baths and sore muscles," she warned.

Joel frowned. "Don't overdo it, Angel," he growled. She had more than just herself to think about now.

She patted his hand, which was still covering her belly. "The baby will be fine, honey. I'm just going to show them what they need to do…they are the ones that are going practice until their muscles scream."

Amber rose from the sofa. "Then it sounds like we better get lots of rest tonight. Come on, Mark. Let's go get the girls and give tickles to the rest of the kids."

When the couple ascended the stairs Lorianna turned her attention to Mama Nell and Papa Will. "You can tell them about me – it's probably best they know in light of…everything."

In a few moments there was a round of hugs goodbye, Sarah and Geralt were tucked in for the night and then it was Miller time…at least for the boys. The girls had a glass of sparkling apple juice.

"You know – If we're gonna play crazy survivalist, I wish like hell we had an underground bunker to go along with it," Tommy said playfully.

Joel cocked a brow at his brother. "Not gonna happen. We'll stockpile, but worrying about what might happen ain't gonna pay the bills. We're nearly done with the McGillis house and Angel told me there's a contractor that's been sniffing around. Not sure I care to go back to workin' with a contractor, but we won't have a choice if another client doesn't drop into our laps soon."

Tommy looked at his brother thoughtfully. "You should consider trading dad's old pickup in for an SUV. Mom's car doesn't have room for supplies, if we have to leave, and dad's truck won't have room for your family. I doubt taking both with us is an option, if'n we have to flee."

Joel frowned and shook his head. "I don't see that happening – at least not yet, little brother. With another one on the way, money will be too tight for that right now. Maybe once we get a few more houses under our belts."

Tommy' slips tightened but he nodded as he rose from the sofa. "Catch ya later, you two. We're gonna go digest everything we've just been told. Nothin' like bringing a kid into the apocalypse," he said dryly.

Joel frowned. "No need for that kinda talk, little brother. We don't know that's gonna happen."

"Yeah, I know…" Tommy said with a wave of his hand as he closed the door behind him.

-BREAK FIFTEEN-

Lorianna scanned the net daily for the next two months for any mention of what was going on down south when she finally found a site out of Mexico that mentioned occurrences happening there, but the site went down before she could finish reading a handful of sentences. She closed her laptop and stared out the window. She started to feel like they were all sitting on a ticking time bomb and Alaska was beginning to sound a lot more appealing.

After another training session with her newest padawans, she told them what she'd seen online. Mama Nell had told them that she'd heard rumors of army vehicles seen heading down towards the border and that military camp set up near Houston.

"We should consider leaving," Amber pointed out.

"No," Joel said with a shake of his head. "I can't uproot my family; walk away from my business on nothing more than a possibility of something happening. A contractor has just hired us for a new job, Ams!"

"If this hits us you might not have a family left, Joe-Joe! Think about it!" Amber's voice rose in frustration.

Joel raked a hand through his short, dark hair. "I _am_ thinking about it! We've all been stockpiling. The SUV is ready. If it comes here, we'll leave – until then I have to make sure my family is taken care of." He hadn't been pleased when he found out Laura had put her 2010 Toyota Landcruiser in Angel's name. She said she'd wanted to get a newer, upgraded one, but it still didn't take the sting out of his pride. Though, he couldn't deny it fit their growing family better and he always felt safer when she and the kids were in it. He just wished it was something he could have afforded to get for them.

Amber's lips tightened and she dropped his gaze. If there were outbreaks in Mexico then it hadn't been contained. And while the government halted all commercial flights to and from Mexico and South America, claiming an outbreak of deadly influenza, she wasn't too sure it wasn't already in the states. Too her it seemed like they waited too long to act. She released a steadying breath. "Fine, Joe-Joe. We'll wait – for now."

Nellie took Will's hand. "I don't want to leave all we have. I hope it doesn't come to that. But if it does…I want us all to stay together. You, Tommy, Angel, Laura, Sarah, Geralt – you're all my family too…my children – I don't want to lose any of you."

Joel hugged her. "We'll stay together Mama Nell. If my parents were here, they'd want that too."

"Damned straight they would," Will said as he patted Joel on the back.

After they left, Lorianna slipped her arms around her husband. "Their training is going well, considering I'm giving them a speed course. Mama Nell and Papa Will keep surprising me. They are in superb shape and quick to catch on. I think Linds has been showing them what she's learned over the years."

Joel chuckled. "And I've no doubts they were helping Linds practice between training sessions. They were always hands-on with Ams too."

She nodded. "I've been working some with Marci and Billy too. They just work opposite schedules so it makes it harder for them to get over here…." Her words faded. "I used to think my world was far more dangerous than this one…I mean, there are people who do horrible things everywhere, but no one purposely created a bioweapon to wipe out everyone that carried a genetic trait. That's…that's monstrous. And it's loose out there now…and we all have to live with the fallout."

He rubbed her back. "It ain't certain yet, Lorianna."

She tilted her head up to look into his beautiful hazel eyes. "Something feels wrong, Joel, and I can't shake it."

He grazed his lips against hers. "I think we're all a little on edge. We'll get through anything this ol' world throws at us. Now, let's tuck the kids in…we gotta long day tomorrow at the zoo."

And he was right; it had been a long day. The children's laughter and excitement had been worth it. No sooner than they got back home they had to begin preparation for the barbeque they were hosting. Between the booze, the family and the laughter it was hard to remember the shadow that hung over them.

During the next training session, Lorianna showed them how to disassemble and reassemble a lightsaber. Once they were able to do it on their own, she had them turn them all the way down to stun and set them up in the garage in pairs to practice parrying and counterattacking. She couldn't shake the bad feeling and wanted to make sure they could wield the lightsaber as comfortably as they could the canes. She also placed an order for twelve inch tungsten alloy knives with sheaths that everyone could wear on their belts; she wanted them to have some sort of backup protection if they dropped their lightsabers or if they needed to charge.

Less than two weeks later, Thursday, September 19th, the paper reported that moldy crops from South America were making people sick, but the details were sketchy. There was more information about the crops then than how it was making people sick or what the symptoms were. She pulled her cell from her pocket and called Amber. "Amber? It's Angel. Did you see this morning's paper?"

Amber frowned. "Yes, we did. It's hard to believe they'd ban commercial flights yet still allow crops in."

She drummed her fingers on the table in worry. "I agree. Have you spoken to anyone from the CDC? Do you know if this is related to the bioweapon?"

Amber closed her eyes and shook her head before realizing Angel couldn't see her. "I tried. We both did. But now that we've resigned, no one is willing to talk to us. Maybe we should have stayed so that we'd have been kept in the loop…but I didn't want to be away from home if something…happened."

"I get that. I'd want to be here too – if anything happened. I knew when I called it was a long shot," Lorianna admitted.

"Do you...uh…" Amber cleared her throat, "sense anything?" It was still hard to believe who and what Angel was. But now that they were training with lightsabers on stun it was so much more real to her. Mark was as ecstatic as a child that was living out a childhood fantasy.

Lorianna rubbed her head. "Just a wrongness…a shadow that feels like its closing in on me. I honestly don't know what to make of it yet."

"Let me know if anything changes….yes, mama's coming. I'm sorry, I gotta go. I'll talk to you later, Angel."

Lorianna slipped the phone back into her pocket. Hopefully, the next few days would shed some more light on what was happening with the produce. Hopefully, there was no connection. Until then, she had birthdays to think about. Joel's birthday was on the twenty-sixth and Kate's was on the twenty-seventh.


	3. The Last of Us - Forged In Hell Ch3

The Last of Us – Forged In Hell

Chapter Three

The Descent

Joel had taken her out to a fancy seafood place for her birthday dinner. She loved seafood, especially lobster and crab legs and it had been a long time since she'd eaten them. The candlelight and atmosphere had been romantic and he'd been in top form. He'd even pulled her onto the dance floor to sway to the soft music the band had been playing. Before the date ended, he'd slipped a gold ring on her finger that had their entwined birthstones set into the Celtic knot band. It was a beautifully, perfect evening.

The doorbell pulled her from her thoughts and she hurried over to get the door, but the delivery man was already gone. Delivery men were better than kids at ding-dong ditch. She picked up the package at her feet and carried it in. At least it had arrived in before he got home. She was afraid it wouldn't get here in time for his birthday.

She looked out the back window to see Geralt blowing bubbles at Ryker, who was jumping up to catch them in his mouth. She grinned, sat down at the table and tore into the box. She took out the carry case and opened it up. Inside was nestled a modified, collapsed Oneida Kestrel along with a quiver full of twenty four arrows. Perfect. Ever since that new Arrow show came out he'd been interested in learning archery. Of course, she had no intension of telling him what she'd actually spent on the special order bow – she hoped he'd at least like it.

She'd taken Sarah and Geralt out to the mall last week to get their father gifts. Sarah ended up getting a watch that he'd been admiring ever since his had been damaged and Geralt got him a titanium dog tag locket necklace. It looked like a military style dog tag that simply said 'Miller Time' on the front, which was what they'd always called family time and his name on the back. But when opened it had a picture of Geralt and Sarah on one side and Joel's arms wrapped around her, one of their wedding pictures, on the other side. The chain was thick and they were assured that it was unbreakable.

She'd helped Geralt wrap his gift earlier - though it was obvious it was done by three year old hands, which added to the sentimentality in her eyes.

After Sarah got home from school, she wrapped her father's gift and then helped Lorianna ice the cake she'd made earlier in the day. She smiled as Sarah wrote 'Happy Birthday, daddy' on the cake and then proceeded to put twenty nine little candles all over the top.

"Hope daddy blows fast before the cake catches on fire," Sarah said with a giggle.

"Ha," she scoffed at her daughter. "My cake had only five less candles and it was fine," she reminded her.

Sarah laughed. "Mommy…your cake would have landed on the floor if daddy hadn't caught it. You were supposed to _blow_ out the candles not use your powers."

She pointed to the cake cover next to her daughter. "Can you put the cover on your dad's cake?" She folded her arms over her chest. "In my defense, I had a little too much wine. Everyone wouldn't stop making toasts."

Sarah pursed her lips and shook her head. "I saw you, mommy –you only had a few, tiny sips."

Lorianna grinned and booped her daughter's nose. "That's all it took. I've avoided wine since finding out about your sister," she said as she rubbed a hand over her belly.

Sarah leaned over and laid her cheek against her mother's belly while she gently stroked it. "I can't wait to meet you baby sister."

Lorianna slipped a hand through her daughter's soft hair and held her against her belly. "Feel that?" she asked quietly when the baby moved in her belly. "She can't wait to meet you too."

She laughed softly and kissed her mother's belly.

"Hey, baby girl – that's my job," Joel teased as he set down his lunch tote and hugged his two girls before he settled his hand on his wife's belly. He could feel the baby moving against his hand and it filled him with warmth. "Your mommy and I are going to go upstairs for awhile, baby girl."

Sarah grinned. They did a lot of that. "Happy birthday, daddy," she said as she hugged him. "I was just about to take Ryker over to Linds house to play with Jinx. Call me when dinner's ready."

"Thank you, baby." When their daughter is ran out of the kitchen he scooped his wife up in his arms and headed for the stairs.

She laughed softly. "I'm a little too big for you to be carrying, Joel."

"Hush now, you're not heavy." He groaned in pain and staggered a step backwards. "My back…" He grinned at her look of concern. "Just kidding."

"You're terrible…" she complained in a mock grouse.

He chuckled. "That's not what you're going to be saying in a few minutes."

"Promises…promises…" she murmured.

And he had been right. Many words had escaped her lips in his loving embrace, but terrible had not been one of them.

After dinner, Tommy, Laura, Mama Nell, Lindsey, Amber, Mark, and baby Darcy came over to celebrate Joel's birthday. Papa Will was pulling a double shift at the hospital and couldn't join them. More and more people were coming into the hospital, affected by crops that were even now being newly discovered and recalled.

Joel wished things would never change and blew out the candles. He got a bottle of whiskey inside a plastic barf toilet from Tommy, a pair of satellite phones from Laura – and as with anything Laura did, it was not cheap. He got a new heavy Leather jacket from Mama Nell and Papa Will, and a nice swiss army knife from Ams and Mark. From Lindsey he got a framed picture of her, Sarah and Geralt all dressed up as Jedi. All the adults but the pregnant wives had whiskey with their cake. When only Tommy and Laura remained, Tommy pulled Joel off to the side.

"Rumor has it the contractor is shaving costs and wants to use inferior product. That true, Joel?" Tommy asked quietly.

Joel raked a hand through his hair. "How did you - yes, it's true. I don't know what I'm going to do, Tommy. I don't want our name associated with poor quality, but we can't lose this contractor," he said motioning to their very pregnant wives. "I'm tryin' to talk him around. I'll let you know how things go tomorrow after I've met with him again."

Tommy looked at him intently for a moment and nodded. In the end, he knew his brother would do the right thing. After a round of hugs, he and Laura left.

He stretched and sat down on the sofa with his family. He'd saved the best for last. He opened Geralt's gift first, smiling over the adorably horrible wrapping attempt. He blinked when he saw the dog tag, his name engraved into it. Were they expecting him to die and wanted his body identifiable? He turned it over to see _Miller Time_ on the opposite side and grinned. He ran his finger over the engraving. His wife had started that saying and it would always be a part of their family.

"Open…daddy. Open," Geralt said as he pointed to the necklace.

He was stunned when he realized it was a locket. "I didn't know they made these for men…" His heart warmed when he saw the pictures held within. The picture of Sarah and Geralt was new, he'd never seen it before, but it had to have been taken recently. The picture of him and his wife brought back memories of their wedding…and when they sneaked off behind the hedge. "It's perfect," he said in an emotion clogged voice. He slipped the thick chain over his neck and hugged his son, smothering his face in little kisses until he giggled.

He picked up Sarah's gift. "Drum roll…"

Sarah started drumming on the table as her father unwrapped it. She stopped the drum roll when he lifted the lid. "You were complaining about your broken watch…so I thought….Do you like it?" she asked uncertain about his expression.

He put the watch on his wrist and bit back a grin. He sent a brief wink to his wife. "Honey, it's nice…but I-" He shook his wrist, held it up to his ear and then tapped the face of the watch with his finger. "I think it's stuck. It's not…"

"What? No…no..no..no…" Sarah grabbed his arm to take a closer look at it. When she saw it working she gave his arm a slight shove. "Oh, ha-ha."

"Thank you, baby – but where did you get the money for this?"

Sarah settled back into the sofa. "Drugs. I sell hard core drugs."

Joel blinked and bit back a laugh. "Oh good, you can start helping out with the mortgage then."

"Stsh. Yeah, you wish." Sarah quipped as she stroked Ryker's head.

The last gift was large and he was clueless as to what it could be. He picked it up. It was far too heavy to be clothing. He glanced at his wife and noticed she was rubbing her head. "You okay?" he asked quietly.

She wasn't. She had an overwhelming sense of dread that she couldn't shake. Confusion, pain and anger clawed at her, but they weren't her emotions - she just wasn't sure where it was coming from. She shook her head, "I'm fine. Just a bit of a headache." She didn't want to ruin his birthday. "Go on…open your gift."

He studied her a moment and then nodded. Once he had the paper off, he still couldn't figure out what might be in the case. He released the latches and opened it up. He blinked. It was obvious what the quills and arrows were, but he couldn't see how that small, rectangular thing could ever be a bow, though he could see bow string wound through it. He picked it up and turned it over in his hand, still trying to figure out what to make of it. He noticed a button near his thumb and depressed it, hoping he didn't cause it to fall apart or something. The compact item sprang out into a wicked looking bow and his jaw dropped. "You're shitting me…"

"Joel!" she warned, her hand flew to her mouth to hold back a laugh.

"Sorry," he said barely sparing her a glance. He'd never seen a bow quite like it before. It looked somewhat like a hybrid between a compound bow and a recurve. He hit the button again and it folded back into itself. "Holy…sugar….," he said with a glance at his son. He set it back in its case, closed it and kissed his wife. "I can't wait to try it out."

They tucked the kids in, set up the satphones and then went to bed themselves. Sleep did not come easy for Lorianna. Screams of torment plagued her dreams until she woke up in a cold sweat. Papa Will. Shadows assailed her and she had to push the distraction aside to focus on Papa Will. She grabbed her phone and dialed him…there was no answer. She shook her husband. "I'll be right back." At his mumble she rolled out of bed and pulled on her protective suit and grimaced when she couldn't fasten it over her belly. While the back of the tunic was capable of stretching, it wasn't made for a pregnant woman. She slipped a t-shirt on and then fastened her tunic on over it as far as she could. The material had shielding capabilities and some protection was better than none.

She slipped on her magbelt, arm and throat bands and stepped into her thigh-high boots and buckled them up. She attached her lightsabers and small med kit, and a vile of bacta to her magbelt and hurried downstairs. "Stay," she told Ryker as she hurried outside to the SUV. Traffic was heavier than normal and cop cars, with flashing, lights flew by her. She passed the hospital, which was crammed with cars. He wasn't there. She turned in the direction of Austin and picked up speed.

Confusion. Pain…there was such pain…but she knew it wasn't hers. On the outskirts of Austin she saw an ambulance wrapped around a tree. No. No. No. She pulled over and ran to the side door. Bloody handprints scored the windshield and she couldn't see through it. The door was held tightly closed by a heavy branch.

She circled to the back, but the double doors were locked from within. Why would they have locked them? She focused on the doors and yanked with her power. They flew open and banged against the sided of the ambulance. It looked like a warzone inside the ambulance. The driver had been flung to the floor, his throat torn open. He hadn't died instantly; there were handprints and signs of struggle everywhere. Papa Will had his face buried in the belly of a man strapped down on a gurney. "No..." She took a step back. Oh god. Not Papa Will.

He slowly lifted his head to look at her and his fingers curled in with the need to rend the flesh from her body. "Noooooaah…." he wailed in a hoarse, gravelly voice. When she took a step back the urge to pounce on her felt like razor blades clawing at his head. His body began to shake, trying to force him to take action on the building need. "Kill meee…." He rasped.

She could see the agony is his bloodshot eyes, shook her head and took an unsteady step back. Her heart couldn't take the pain. Not him…god, not him. "Papa Will…." Tears slid down her cheeks. He had been the one to lock the door, to keep himself caged and others safe from him.

His hands rose to head as a new wave of pain ripped through him. A chunk of hair and scalp tore free as his nails sank in. "Kill meee…." he implored her, each word punctuated with a spray of blood from his lips. He lowered his hands to grip the side of the bed and the railing along the ambulance's side and raised his head to expose his neck.

She wiped her eyes, her breath coming in shuddering gasps. She'd never had to kill anyone she cared about and her hand shook as she pulled her lightsaber free from her belt and ignited it. She could see the toll it was taking on him to fight the infection. His body twitched and shuddered and his throat muscles bulged. "Papa Will…I love you. Be one with life." She threw her lightsaber, caught it and sank to her knees when his head tumbled off his shoulders and fell to the floor of the ambulance.

She gave into the crushing pain that overwhelmed her, her body wracked with harsh sobs until she felt numb and empty inside. Oh god…Joel…her family. She pushed herself to her feet and forced herself to remove the heads of the two men in the ambulance, because she didn't know if they would turn into whatever those things were.

She hopped into the SUV and peeled away from the ambulance towards their home. She saw Joel's truck in the drive and released a steadying breath. Maybe they were still sleeping. Maybe they didn't know. She glanced next door and saw lights on in Mama Nell's house. She did not look forward to breaking more hearts. Amber had begged Papa Will to resign, but he couldn't desert people in need. She'd understood at the time, because she couldn't either…but now she'd wished he had. The price he paid had been too great.

She stepped into the house, but only silence greeted her. "Ryker?" she called out softly trying to force down the unease. But there was no wagging butt to greet her. She hurried over to Geralt's room, because he sometimes slept in there. She came to a halt and ice filled her veins when she saw the shattered glass and the body in her son's room. It was Jimmy Cooper, a neighbor a couple of houses down. It wasn't just in Austin…it was here too…that's why the hospital had so many cars, people were bringing their loved ones in and in doing so….they were spreading the infection to everyone else in the hospital. They should have left when Amber warned them. She shook her head. She needed to find her family. "Joel? Sarah?" she called out loudly.

She saw a flashing light in the kitchen and picked up Joel's phone. She could see several calls and texts had come in from Tommy. Damn it. Joel was so bad about forgetting his cell. She slipped it into her pocket, grabbed the satphones and Joel's bow case and sat them next to the front door before she ran upstairs. "Joel?"

She ran into their room. There was static on the TV and the bed was empty. She turned off the TV, pulled her bag with the lightsabers out of closet and swung it over her shoulder. She put Joel's guitar into its case and picked it up. It was silly and sentimental at time like this, but she would take it anyway. They already had clothing for all of them in the SUV. Just to make sure the house was empty, she ran to Sarah's room. Gone. Everyone was gone. Why couldn't she feel them?

Numb…because she was numb inside. Her brain had shut away the pain to protect her, but that's not what she needed right now. She needed to feel. She centered her focus on her family…and that was when she felt their fear. They were afraid, but they were alive.

She rushed down the stairs, swung the strap from the bow case over her shoulder, grabbed the sat phones and hurried out to the SUV and shoved them into the back. She called Tommy as soon as she settled in the drivers seat. "Tommy!" she could hear screams and sirens in the background and had to force herself to calm down. "Are Joel and the kids with you?" she asked as she tore out of the driveway.

"Goddamn it, this way! They're coming through!" she heard someone yell. Was that Billy?

"Angel? Meet us at highway marker 49. There was an accident, we had to split up. We're on foot. C'mon…in here….Move it!" he yelled at his wife.

She could hear the wails of the infected on top of them and she had to fight to keep the terror at bay.

"Get to the highway. Angel and Mama Nell should be there soon," Tommy told them.

Joel's mouth fell open and he took a step towards his brother. He barely had time to register the fact that his wife was safe. But he was not about to leave his brother behind. "What?"

"Go, big brother…you've got Sarah and Geralt to think about. Billy has Kate - I can out run 'em!" Tommy pointed out.

Oh hell no was she leaving her husband behind. "I'm not leaving you to them, Tommy!"

"Laura…I love you, but I can't be distracted with worry. Take Geralt," he said leaned harder against the door and put the baby down, shooing him towards his wife.

Laura scooped him up and settled him on her large belly. "Tommy…"

"I'll be fine…go!" He yelled, motioning to the back door.

She could only assume they left when there was no more discussion. "Just take a deep breath, Tommy. You've been trained well. You've got this," she said in a calm, certain voice. He needed her to be strong and have faith in him…and she would. "Do you have your lightsaber or just your blaster?"

"Both," he said with a grin. She still had a hard time calling blasters guns.

"Ok, put your phone in your shirt pocket and button it so we can remain in contact. Turn your lightsaber to full strength. Hold your lightsaber with your left hand and your blaster in your right. Don't use the blaster unless you need to." He'd been trained to use the lightsaber in either hand, but they'd not done the same for blasters. When you take your weight off the door back flip away from it to put some space between you and them." She maneuvered through stopped cars and picked up speed again. She heard the steady thump of his landing and smiled. "Perfect, Tommy. Try not to think about what you are doing, this is practice you are parrying blows and counterstriking just like you did in the garage."

He knew what she was trying to do. She didn't want him thinking about dismembering humans, but it was hard to detach his mind from what he was doing. He had two things going for him, he was riding an adrenalin rush and there was very little blood with the grisly work. When the lightsaber cut through skin and bone it felt similar to the watermelons they'd practiced on. Without that practice he may well have dropped his lightsaber when the odd sensation ran up his arm.

Even with their arms missing they lunged at him, teeth bared, as if they didn't know or didn't care. That alone helped him handle the fact that they weren't human anymore. After the last head toppled onto the floor, he doubled over vomited up what was left of his dinner until his belly heaved and nothing came up. He shut the lightsaber off, clipped it to his belt, tucked the gun into the back of his pants and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I can't believe I survived that."

"I knew you would. Now, catch up with our family, big brother. I'll be at the marker in a few minutes."

"You know, we don't actually know who is older," he pointed out as he headed for the back door.

"Maybe not, but I've accepted the birthday Joel gave me – and…you are bigger than me," she reminded him.

He grinned. It actually felt good to be called big brother for a change. "That's true. You know…I'm not sure I could have gotten through that without your…strength. You helped keep me calm and focused. Thanks, little sister."

She shook her head. "You didn't need me. It all would have settled into place, even without me," she assured him. "You're body has been honed into an instinctual weapon. If you don't over think things, it will react as it needs to – it knows what to do to survive. Just don't let your head get in the way, it will slow things down."

"Sound advice, master jedi." He heard something off in her voice and came to a stop. "You all right?"

"No," she admitted. "Papa Will…he didn't make it," she said in a strained voice. "That's why I left…I had to find him. The ambulance was wrecked…there were no survivors."

He knew she wasn't telling him everything, but the news was devastating enough. The man was like a father to him. He forced his feet to keep moving. "At least – at least we know…wait…I hear something."

-BREAK TWO-

His wife's cold side of the bed woke him up. He remembered vaguely that she'd said she'd be right back. He rolled out of bed and checked the bathroom. It was empty. He stepped into his jeans and hurried downstairs to see if Geralt had woke her up. He peeked into his son's room, he was still sound asleep.

"Where are you?" he asked softly, a tight ball of concern settled in his belly. He opened the sliding door to let Ryker out to go potty. Within a few minutes he heard a distant scream and Ryker started barking. "Get in here, boy," he ordered the dog. He could hear distant sirens. He closed the sliding door as soon as the dog came in and hurried back up the stairs to pull his shirt and shoes. He flipped the TV on and watched an emergency news broadcast as he drew his belt through the loops. The fact that they were airing anything meant that hell was breaking loose and the government was losing control. He ran back down the stairs and told the dog to stay while he slipped out the front door.

His first stop was Tommy's, but the SUV was gone and the lights were off. He knocked, but all he heard was Ra barking. He grabbed the key from under the flower pot and opened the door. "Ra…come on, boy. Let's go." He wasn't sure if Tommy would have the time to stop back home and he didn't want Ra left at home alone right now.

He locked back up and ran across the street back to his house to let Ra in the front door. He then ran over to the Hansons. He noticed the lights were on and they were quick to answer the door. "Is my wife here, Amber?"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Joel. I haven't seen her since the party. I take it she's not with Laura or Marci?"

Joel rubbed the back of his neck. "I only just woke up. I didn't think to call her." He stiffened when he heard another scream. "I know that…that wouldn't be her, but I won't feel right until I check it out. Can you call Marci for me?"

Amber bit her lip. "Sure thing. And Joe-Joe? Be careful out there. I think – I think it might be time to leave."

Joel nodded. "Thanks, Ams." He darted down the side of their house, through the walkway between their backyard fences to the street behind their houses. He turned right and ran in the direction he'd heard the scream coming from. A scream was cut off with the shattering of glass. He swung his head to the left and saw a woman crawling across the grass. It had to be old Mrs. Lincoln. He darted over to see if he could help her. Blood splattered him as he knelt down next to her. He placed his hand over the wound on her thigh that was spurting blood. Damn it. He needed to bind the wound.

She clutched at him weakly. "Coop..errrr…" The word slipped from her lips in one last raspy breath. He wiped his hands on the grass and drew one hand down over her eyes to close them. What the hell was going on? He looked back up at the window she'd fallen out of and saw a man charging the widow. He fell out of it with a growl and lurched back to his feet. Joel jumped to his feet and backed away. Jimmy Cooper. That's what Mrs. Lincoln had been trying to tell him. But this was not the introverted Jimmy Cooper that worked at the airport and had been his neighbor for years. There was an odd light in the man's eyes and a snarl on his gaping mouth.

He heard a screeching growl from behind him and spun around, his arm arcing out to loop around a neck; he followed through with the motion and heard a snap and dropped the body. He stared down at the twisted face of Lisa Cooper before another growl reminded him he wasn't alone.

He wasn't a coward, but he had a family to think about and heroics were put on the back burner. He turned and ran. He should have grabbed his lightsaber or his gun…something…anything…but he hadn't known the danger and thought it was overkill. When he reached his yard he grasped the top of the six foot fence and swung himself over. Those years of training with Angel had really paid off. He stepped in through the sliding glass door in his son's room, pulled out the locked gun case and his lightsaber from his desk drawer. He clipped the lightsaber to his belt, unlocked the case, grabbed his gun and quickly loaded it before he caught sight of his daughter. "You okay, baby? Did your mom get home?"

Sarah rubbed her arms. "I'm fine. I woke up and you and mommy were both gone. I was going to check on my brother when you came in. Why is Ra here? What's going on, daddy? I saw an explosion out the window."

"Something bad's happening, baby. Has anyone come in here?"

"No. Who would come in here?" she asked rubbing her arms again.

"Go grab your brother, Sarah and stay away from the doors."

"Dad…you're kinda freakin' me out," she said as she scooped her baby brother up from his bed to hold him. "What's going on?"

"It's the Coopers. Somethin' ain't right with 'em. I think they're sick." He should have told her sooner what might happen, but he hadn't wanted to frighten her over what was only a possibility.

"What kinda sick?" she asked as she looked back towards the sliding glass door. She saw a man rush forward, slam against the glass and stumble backwards. She took a step back.

"Jesus! Jimmy!" he warned. He must have broken through their backyard fence, he didn't think the man was coordinated enough to jump it.

She yelped and clutched her brother tighter to her chest. "Dad?"

"Honey, c'mere…c'mere," he said waving them behind him. Jimmy rammed the door again. "It's okay," he said when he heard her gasping. "Jimmy!" he warned again. "Just stay back - I have a gun!" But Jimmy didn't much care. The third time he slammed into the glass it shattered and he fell forward onto the floor.

Joel angled Sarah and his son towards the door, making sure to keep them behind him. "Jimmy, I'm warning you…"

"Oh, my god…" Sarah said when she saw the man get up, covered in blood, and charge them.

"Don't!' Joel yelled one final time, hoping he could reach the man and not have to shoot, but Jimmy was nearly on him when he fired the gun point blank into the man's neck. The force of the bullet propelled him backwards onto the floor. He tucked his gun into the back of his pants, plucked his son out of Sarah's arms, took her arm and pulled her out of Geralt's room. The dogs darted past him to attack the downed man.

"Ryker, Ra…leave it!" he shouted, not certain if the illness would affect them.

"You…you shot him…" Sarah mumbled in shock.

"Sarah-"

"I saw him this mornin'…" she murmured.

He leaned down towards her, his hand tightening on her arm. "Listen to me. There is something bad going on. We have to get outta here. Do you understand me?"

"Yeah," she said softly, her body trembling with shock and fear. He saw the bright lights through the front window and heard the horn. "Maybe that's your mom. C'mon."

He swung the front door open to see Tommy. "Where the hell have you been? Don't you ever bother to answer your phone? You have any idea what's goin' on out there? And where the hell is Angel?"

Laura hopped out of the passenger seat and held her hands out for Geralt. She, Sarah and the baby hopped into the back seat. She buckled him into the baby seat in the middle. "Calm down, Tommy," she said as she let the dogs jump up into the back. It would be tight until they could hook up with Angel.

"I don't know! I don't know where my wife is," he said in agitation and raked a hand through his hair. "Did you call her?"

"I did," Laura told him. "But there was no answer. I'm sure she's fine, Joel. If anyone can survive this madness, it's her. You know that."

Joel frowned. He didn't want to hear platitudes. He wanted to see his wife...hold her… _know_ that she was okay. "It's here, Tommy. The goddamned infection is here."

"We'll follow you," Nellie called out to Tommy.

Joel blinked. "Where's Papa Will?"

Nellie frowned. "He's at the hospital. He pulled a double shift when someone called in sick."

Everyone who was sick went to the hospital. Joel sighed. "Don't you worry none, Mama Nell, we'll head to the hospital to pick him up. If we get separated head to highway mile marker 49. We'll all meet up there."

"Holy shit, you got blood all over you," Tommy said in shock when he got a closer look at his brother.

"It ain't mine. C'mon, let's get outta here," he said through a tight throat. He gripped tight to the dash as his brother pulled out of the drive. Leaving without his wife was one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do.

"They're sayin' that half the people in the city have lost their minds," Tommy told him.

"Then we'll avoid cities," Joel replied. "We'll be better off in the country. I know Ams wanted to go to Alaska, but they already have snow, it's too dangerous this time of year. We'll have to consider headin' there come spring."

Tommy looked at his brother. "You gonna tell me what happened to you?"

Joel nodded. "Later," he said shooting a quick look back at his children.

"Hey, Sarah, how you holdin' up, honey?" Tommy asked her.

"I'm fine, Uncle Tommy…I am. Can we hear what's on the radio?" she inquired, needing to hear something normal…and if not normal something that might tell her more about what was going on.

"Yeah, sure thing," Tommy told her.

Laura tucked her knees into the back of Joel's seat. "Probably should have had your short legs sitting behind your daddy," she teased trying to lighten the mood a little.

"Poor, Aunt Laura. Where were you?" she asked curiously.

"We stopped off at the Shed after a late movie." She leaned forward. "We heard something," she said quietly. "Marci was attacked at Teiner's – she didn't…didn't make it."

"Ah, fuck," Joel mumbled under his breath. He wondered how many more friends would be lost to this hell.

Tommy tapped the radio. "Damn…a minute ago the newsman wouldn't shut up and now all I'm gettin' is static."

"They say where to go?" Joel asked.

"They said, ah…Army's puttin' up road blocks on the highway. No gettin' in to Travis County."

Joel nodded. "That means we need to get the hell out. Take 71 - that should get us near the hospital."

"Yup, 71, that's where I'm headed."

"They say how many are dead?" Sarah asked.

"Probably a lot. Found this one family all mangled inside their house."

"Tommy," Joel warned, grabbing his brother's arm.

Tommy glanced back at Sarah, Geralt and his frowning wife. "Right….sorry."

"Jesus Christ," Joel said when he saw a car wrapped around a light post. "They admitting how this happened?"

"Nope. They're sayin' they got no clue. But we ain't the only town. At first they were saying it was just the South. Now, they're going on about the East Coast, the West Coast…Holy hell," Tommy said when they saw a ranch house in flames on the right hand side. "That's Louis' farm. I hope that son of a bitch made it out."

"I'm sure he did," Joel replied, mostly to comfort his daughter. He didn't like her exposed to all this, but there was nothing he could do. He picked up Tommy's cell and tried to call his wife. But there was no dial tone. "Damn it…where the hell are you, Angel?"

"Yeah, cell reception has gotten spotty. We'll find her, Joel," Laura said as she patted his shoulder.

"Mommy," Geralt said.

Joel turned around to look at his son. "We'll find her, baby boy."

Geralt stuck out his lower lip. "Mommy scared. Feel mommy…mommy scared." His brows drew together, fat tears slipped from his eyes to roll down his cheeks. "Sad…broken…mommy-"

His heart squeezed painfully. He wasn't a religious man, but he was praying for her safety. "Mommy will be fine, baby."

Laura wiped his tears. "If you can feel your mommy, that means she's okay. And that means she knows you're okay. She'll be here soon," she assured the little boy.

"Are we sick?" Sarah asked point blank.

Joel swung around to look at her. "No. no, of course not."

"How do you know?"

"They said it's just ah…people in the city. We're good," Tommy assured her.

"Didn't Jimmy work in the city?" she pointed out.

"You're right he did…at the airport. He must of caught it in the city, but we've not been to the city," Joel said matter of fact.

"We're fine," Tommy replied. He caught sight of a man and child on the side of the road. "Let's see what they need."

"What the hell do you think you're doin'?" Joel asked when his brother slowed down. "Keep drivin'."

"He has a kid, Joel."

"So do I…two of 'em, Tommy."

"Daddy…that's Billy and Kate!"

"Pull over, Tommy," Laura said. "I'll move the dogs up with us; they can squeeze in the back."

"Goddamn it," Joel mumbled. "Change places with me, Laura. You can sit in the middle and Billy can put Kate on his lap. Revan will have to go with Mama Nell."

As soon as Tommy came to a stop he and Laura got out. He patted Billy on the back. "Sorry about Marci. I'll take Revan back to Mama Nell. We don't have room for him with us. Kate will have to sit on your lap, but we can all squeeze in."

Billy sighed in relief. "Thank you…I wasn't sure what we were gonna do. Someone done drove us off the road and into a ditch. Hard to believe you drove by just when we needed you most."

Joel nodded. "Hop in."

"Kate can sit next to me – we can share a seatbelt. We're small enough," Sarah interjected.

"That's a good idea, baby." He looked down at the brindle dutch shepard. "C'mon, Revan," he said slapping his thigh. The dog followed him to the other vehicle and the rear hatch popped open by the time he got there. "In ya go." After Revan jumped up next to Jinx he lowered the hatch and hurried back to slide into the back seat next to his son. He shook his head at his daughter, who had claimed the window side. She always had to sit next to the window.

Billy noticed one person was missing. "Angel – is she…" his words trailed off.

"She's fine," Joel said a bit more sharply than he intended to. "She'll find us."

Billy nodded. He was still in shock about Marci and he was glad he did not have a friend to mourn as well. "Where are we headed?" he asked in a strained voice.

"To the hospital," Tommy said. "We need to pick up Papa Will. Then – I don't rightly know…but away from any city or town."

"Marci's sister has a ranch about 150 or so miles from here. Might be safe there," Billy said with a shrug.

An ambulance passed them, lights and sirens screaming. "Maybe Papa Will was in there," Sarah said as she watched the ambulance go by.

"We'll find out when we get to the hospital, honey," Laura said quietly.

"No Papa Will…" Geralt said with a shake of his head. "Not in amblance…not here…" Tears fell from his eyes.

Sarah reached across Kate and patted his arm. "It's okay, Ger…we'll find Papa Will."

Geralt shook his head, his lower lip trembling. "Not here…"

Tommy slowed down when they ran into cars that were lined up bumper to bumper. "Oh…this is bad. Everyone and their mother had the same damn idea."

"Well…we could just backtrack and-" his words were cut off when a man in the car ahead of them jumped out.

"Hey, what the fuck, man? Let's go!" the man said as if his mere presence would be enough to get the traffic moving again. Another man darted onto the street, his hospital gown flapping with his movements and lunged at the man who had gotten out of his car and threw him to the ground. Another hospital patient charged up behind him and launched themself into the car to attack the passenger.

"Turn us around!" Joel yelled.

"Oh, my god…" Laura said in horror.

"Tommy!" Billy yelled and gave the younger man a shove to get his attention.

"Holy shit!' Tommy said throwing the SUV into reverse when one of the attackers looked up and charged his vehicle. He looked back, but Mama Nell was quick to throw her vehicle in reverse too. He spun the car to the right, the man bounced off the window next to Sarah's face.

"What the fuck just happened - did you see that?" Tommy shouted.

"Yeah, I saw it," Billy said with a shocked nod.

"That's what happened to the Cooper's," Joel admitted.

"Goddamn…" Tommy said. "Is that…"

"Later," Joel told him. "Here…turn left…."

"Good call," Tommy groused when he nearly drove into a mob of people running in their direction.

'What are they running from?" Kate asked.

"Get us outta here…" Joel frowned, they were only inching forward. "We can't stop here, Tommy!"

"I can't fuckin' drive through 'em, Joel!" Tommy growled in frustration.

"Then back up then!" Joel yelled back.

Tommy looked back. Not only was Mama Nell behind them, but so were people… "They're behind me too!"

"There!" Billy said when he noticed there was a break in the crowd and few coming their way. He pulled around the RV that was blocking most of the road.

"Look out!" Sarah screamed as headlights rushed towards her. The truck slammed into them, and the world spun out of control as the SUV flipped and landed on its side. Sarah blinked; she could hear screams, dogs barking and inhuman growls. She shook Kate.

"I'm fine," Kate said as she unbuckled their seat belt.

She reached over Kate and rubbed her brother's arm. "You okay, Ger?"

Geralt reached out for his father. "Daddy... daddy's hurt."

Sarah crawled past Kate and her brother's car seat. "Daddy?" She shook his arm. "Daddy, get up!"

"Son of a bitch…the door won't open!" Tommy yelled.

"Tommy…the front windshield…we can kick it out together and get out that way," Billy told him.

"Shield your face, honey…" Tommy told Laura and then nodded to Billy.

By the third kick the window gave way. He and Billy crawled through and then helped Laura out.

Mark and Amber ran up to them. "Is everyone okay?" Mark asked.

Tommy looked in through the window to see Joel helping Kate over the seat. He and Mark reached in to pull her out. "I think so. Get back to your truck. Meet us at the highway 49 marker. No sense losing both vehicles."

Mark spun around when he heard the growl behind them; he grabbed the lightsaber from his belt, flipped it on and arched the blade. The body dropped and the head rolled a few inches away. He shuddered.

"Go!" Tommy yelled. "We got this!"

Amber crawled in through the broken window and took Geralt from Joel's hands. "Joe-Joe…"

"Go, Ams…we'll be fine," Joel told her.

"Do you want me to take Ger?"

Joel was torn. He didn't want to let his children out of his sight. He might be safer with Ams…if they could get out of this hell and to the mile marker…but if they couldn't he'd never know what happened to his son. "No, Ams. I can't…I can't let him out of my site. Give him to Laura and you two get away while you can."

Amber frowned, but nodded. "Be careful, Joel." She backed out of the wreck and handed Geralt to Laura. "We'll see you soon." She turned when she heard the shattering of glass. Mark had kicked in the rear window to let the dogs out. "We'll take Ryker and Revan with us, if you want."

"Yes. Thanks, Ams." He didn't want to lose track of them in the crowd. He crawled over the seat and held his hand out to his daughter to pull her over. He slipped through the window and stood up, feeling out his kinks and making sure he could move. A man lunged for him, before he could even bring his arm up, his head and part of his shoulder slid from his body to the ground; the body fell a blink later. "Thanks, Billy."

"Daddy?" she called out in a tight voice.

"I'm here, baby. I'm here. Give us your hands." He and Tommy pulled Sarah from the wreck while Billy guarded their flank. She stumbled and cried out when she got to her feet. "What is it?"

She tried to put weight on it and gasped. "My leg hurts."

"How bad?"

"Pretty bad," she admitted. "I - I don't think I can walk on it."

"We're gonna need to run!" Tommy yelled.

"Tommy, take Geralt. I'll get Sarah. Lindsey, stick tight to Tommy and me. Billy stay out in front and Laura cover our asses. We'll carve our way through if we have to," Joel told them and handed Laura his gun.

She handed Geralt to her husband, tucked the gun into the back of her pants, and crawled far enough through the window to grab her and Tommy's lightsabers from the dash. She clipped his onto his belt and lit hers. She nodded to Billy and took her place at the rear.

Tommy hated having her defend their flank. Not because he didn't believe in her, but because she was his wife…his very pregnant wife and he wanted her protected in the middle, but he knew as well as Joel did that she'd have a hard time running with a toddler and a large belly.

Joel swung his daughter up in his arms. "Hold on tight, baby."

They followed Billy down the road and swung right when a car lost control and slammed into gas station pumps, causing an explosion that shook the ground beneath their feet.

"Those people are on fire…" Sarah said in a shaky voice.

"Don't look, honey. Just keep lookin' at me," he told her.

The skirted a fire truck and headed towards the Armadillo Theatre, the colorful lights seeming out of place in the terror and hell around them. They wheeled left into an ally when an explosion up ahead turned the road into an inferno.

Billy held the chain link fence door open for them and then darted back to the front in time to see Joel and Sarah being attacked. He spun a kick that sent the attacker sprawling to the ground. He stepped on its chest and slammed his lightsaber down through its skull.

Geralt struggled against his uncle's chest. "I wanna see."

"You don't need to see, Ger," Tommy said as he held tighter to the squirming toddler.

Geralt gripped his uncle's shirt. "I can help."

"Goddamn it, this way! They're coming through!" Billy shouted.

"Not now, baby…" Tommy said to try to sooth him. He grabbed his phone when it rang. I'll be damned. He wondered how long the service had been working.

Geralt turned his head and held out his hand and flung the baddies away from the fence. "See? I help."

"Through here," Billy said, motioning them through the bar's outdoor sitting area.

"Angel? Meet us at highway marker 49. There was an accident, we had to split up. We're on foot. C'mon…in here….Move it!" he yelled at his wife. As soon as his wife was through the door, Tommy threw his weight against it. "Get to the highway. Angel and Mama Nell should be there soon!" Tommy told them.

Joel's mouth fell open and he took a step towards his brother. He barely had time to register the fact that his wife was safe. But he was not about to leave his brother behind. "What?"

"Go, big brother…you've got Sarah and Geralt to think about. Billy has Kate - I can out run 'em!" Tommy pointed out.

Oh hell no was she leaving her husband behind. "I'm not leaving you to them, Tommy!"

"Laura…I love you, but I can't be distracted with worry. Take Geralt," he said leaned harder against the door and put the baby down, shooing him towards his wife.

Laura scooped him up and settled him on her large belly. "Tommy…"

"I'll be fine…go!" he yelled, motioning to the back door.

-BREAK THREE-

Joel looked at Tommy and nodded. "We gotta go," he said quietly. "Tommy will catch up." He had to believe that. "Billy – can you hold Geralt?"

Billy nodded and took the baby from Laura. "Stay at my side, Katie."

Laura turned to her husband. "If you don't come back to me so help me I will hunt you down and kill you again, do you hear me?"

Tommy grinned at her and nodded. "Go…"

When Laura joined them, Joel burst out the back door.

"Daddy, we can't leave him!" Sarah said in alarm.

"It's going to be fine. We're almost there," Joel assured her. He darted to the left to avoid an infected that had leapt up from its last unfortunate meal to pursue them. He heard the hum of a lightsaber as he jumped down from the small, broken brick wall to the ground. He could hear a helicopter overhead as they approached a semi truck turned on its side. He could also hear the grunts of another infected…or more.

He kept running; it was all he could do. "Billy!" he shouted. He had to know Billy and his son were right behind them.

"We're here! Keep going," Billy assured him.

They broke into a clearing; a machine gun took out the infected behind them. It took a moment for Joel to realize they hadn't been shot as well. "It's okay, baby. We're safe…we're safe." He looked over at Billy and his son, then Laura. "We're all safe now." He looked over at the soldier, concerned that the man was still holding a gun on them. "We need help."

"Stop!" the soldier cried, not wanting them to come any closer.

The soldier seemed agitated. Why? "Please. It's my daughter – I think her leg's broken."

"Stop right there!" The soldier warned again.

Joel blinked. This wasn't going well. "Okay," he said taking a step back from the soldier. "We're not s-sick."

The soldier grabbed his radio. "We've got a family of civilians in the outer perimeter. Please advise."

"Daddy? What about Uncle Tommy?"

Joel looked down at his daughter's face. "We're going to get you, your brother and Kate to safety and go back for him, okay?"

"Sir," the soldier said, "There are children. One's injured…a baby…a pregnant woman…" he frowned when he was ordered to kill them. "But…sir…" Damn it. "Yes, sir." He swallowed hard. Some days he hated his duty.

Laura switched her lightsaber back on.

The soldier's head jerked in her direction. "Holy shit – is that a-"

"It is. And I don't want to use it on you," she said trying to distract the man from the children. "I just want to get my family to safety before the baby is born." She rubbed her belly in hopes that the man could be swayed by her condition.

"Ma'am..." the soldier said, hesitating.

Joel bit back the fear that gripped him. He did not like the way that conversation had gone. "Listen, buddy, we've just been through hell. We just need-"

The soldier cocked his gun and aimed.

"Ah…shit…." Joel mumbled and started to turn away from the soldier. Machine gun sprayed and his daughter slipped from his arms when a bullet grazed him. He rolled over onto his back as the soldier ran up to him. He blinked at the bright light shining in his eyes and raised his hand. "Please, don't. My children…my wife is pregnant. Please, don't do this."

"I'm sorry," the soldier said as he took aim.

A gunshot rang out and Joel flinched. When he saw blood splatter from the soldier's head he collapsed back on the ground and looked over to see Tommy standing there, gun still pointed at the soldier whose body had hit the ground.

Tommy took a step towards the soldier to make sure he didn't get back up when he caught sight of Sarah. "Oh no…"

Joel swung his head around in the direction Tommy was looking; his daughter's soft cries tore at his heart. He rolled over onto his hands and knees and hurried towards her. "Sarah?" He glanced around, saw that his son was safe and focused his attention on Sarah. Oh, fuck. She had been shot in the belly, blood was pouring out of the wound. "Ok," he said gently. "Move your hands, baby." As soon as she did he applied pressure to the wound to try to stop the bleeding.

She cried out in pain and reached out to hold her father.

He could hear his son crying and pushed that back to focus on his daughter. "Listen to me, baby. You're gonna be okay. You stay with me." They couldn't just stay here; she would bleed out if they did. They needed help.

Laura unzipped her jacket and pulled off the clean shirt, barring some sweat, that she had on underneath. She knelt down and wriggled the shirt under Sarah. "I'm sorry, honey. This is going to hurt, but we need to get more pressure on the wound." She tied the shirt into a knot over the wound.

Joel's heart wrenched when his daughter screamed in pain. He heard another gunshot and ignored it. "I know it hurts, baby. I know. Hang on for me, Sarah. Hang on." He took her hand. "Look at me, baby. Look at me."

Tommy could only look on in horror when Angel launched herself from the truck towards them. A soldier stepped into the clearing and fired his gun before he could even get his own gun raised.

Lorianna was focused only on her daughter's pain, she sensed the man too late, she turned, grabbed her lightsaber, ignited it and threw it. She brought up her second lightsaber to defect the bullet, but it happened too fast and her body was propelled backwards from the shot.

The soldier's head toppled from his body a moment before Tommy's bullet reached it. Tommy was cursing himself. There would be no reason why a soldier would have been out here on his own. He should have been prepared. He should have known to expect more. But his heart and emotions had been tied up with what was happening with his niece and he'd lost focus.

She inhaled deeply, forcing the pain back and caught her lightsaber. She spun around. She had to get to Sarah…maybe…maybe she could heal her. She took a step forward and her leg gave out from under her. She flung her arm out and sent a burst of power to keep her from hitting the ground. She wobbled precariously on her feet, took two shaky steps before a wave of dizziness struck her and she toppled to the ground. She raised herself up on an elbow, slipped into a meditative state and held her hand out towards her daughter to send healing waves of energy in her direction.

Joel felt the wound on his side begin to itch. He ignored it; his only concern was his daughter right now. "Stay with me, baby." She took a shuddering breath and another.

"Mom-my n..needs to-to let me go…." she forced out the words.

"What?" He turned his head to see his wife, all the blood gone from her face, her body trembling and her hand outstretched towards them. "Stop!" he growled at her. "You're not a healer! I can't – I can't lose you both. Tommy," he pleaded with his brother.

Tommy nodded, took Angel's hand and turned her around. "You have to stop. Sarah doesn't want this! Think of your baby."

She gripped Tommy's arm with the contraction. She sucked in a breath with the harsh pain that tore through her belly. "Too late…" she said hoarsely. She reached down, fumbling with the band of her pants, trying to push them down. "Get my pants off…"

He blinked. "No..no…Laura!" he yelled helplessly as he began to unbuckle her boots.

Sarah stilled as wispy figure held out his hand to her. "Papa Will…." The name slipped out on a breath as she was pulled free of the pain. Two more figures joined him and she recognized them only by picture. "Grandma…grandpa…" But they were dead. She turned around to look at her father and saw him clutching her body. "Oh, god…daddy…"

Bethanne took her granddaughter's free hand and looked at her son, her heart breaking for his suffering. She turned to look at the woman on the ground behind them – a woman that had given her son so much. A woman she wished she'd had the chance to know as a daughter. She looked back down at her granddaughter. "It is not yet time for your daddy to join us. But, your sister…she needs us right now. Come."

"Sarah!" he looked down into her sightless eyes and he gripped her tighter. "Baby – oh god, don't do this to me, baby." He rocked her. "Don't do this to me, baby girl. Come on…" he said giving her a slight shake." Not his baby girl…no…not Sarah. "No..no…don't go…no…please…" he begged as he gathered her to him and rocked her back and forth. Tears slipped down his cheeks. "Please…please don't do this…oh, god…please…."

Billy held tight to his daughter and Geralt, trying to comfort them. He looked up when he heard the approach of another vehicle.

Nellie jumped from the truck and ran down the incline and froze when she saw her two downed girls. "Billy, get the children to Angel's truck! Mark, stay with the kids. Amber…" but her daughter had already joined her. She looked over at Joel clutching Sarah, his body shuddering. Oh god...no. She saw Angel, her face white, her forehead lined with sweat, blood oozing from her belly. She would mourn the dead later; right now it was the living that needed help. "Tommy – go take Sarah from Joel. He needs to be here."

Tommy slid the second boot off and nodded. He hurried over to his brother and knelt down next to him. "Joel…give me Sarah. I'll stay with her. Angel…she's been hurt."

When the words filtered through the fog of grief his head rose to look at his brother. It took a moment for what he said to sink in. His heart twisted in fresh agony. "No…" Not her too. He looked down at his baby girl, kissed her forehead and laid her in his brother's outstretched arms. He turned his head and saw his wife on the ground with her head in Laura's lap. She was deathly still. He crawled over to her and saw the blood on her belly. A harsh breath exploded from his lungs. He couldn't do this again. He couldn't.

"Joel!" Nellie reprimanded sharply. "Lift her hips so we can pull her pants down." When he just blinked she slapped him upside the back of his head. "Joel! Lift her hips."

He numbly did as he was told and then realized the significance. "The baby…"

Nellie pushed back the grief; she'd deal with it later. "I'm sorry, Joe-Joe…the baby's coming. It's too soon…."

His mind cleared. He knew what he had to do. But this time he would be delivering grief not joy. "Ams…Grab towels from the truck!" he said as he settled between his wife's legs.

Amber jumped up and ran to the truck, opened the back hatch, pushed the dogs aside and tore through the supplies until she found the towels. She tore open the package of sanitary napkins and grabbed a pad and a box of wipes. She closed the hatch and ran back down the incline to hear Joel singing a love song softly to his wife.

Joel put one towel to the side and the other one he slipped partially under his wife. He then cleaned his hands with the wipes as the final words of the song left his lips. "Since she can't push, I need you two to put your hands on the top of her belly. When you feel her having a contraction I need you to push down until the contraction stops."

He slid two fingers into her to see if he could feel the baby. He felt a foot. Damn it. He searched until he found the other foot and pulled it down towards the first. He hooked his fingers around the tiny ankles and waited. When they said 'now', he pulled as they pushed. By the time the contraction ended he could see his daughter's feet. He took a better hold and waited for the next contraction. When the next one hit he pulled and the baby slipped free in a rush of blood and fluid. There was a wound in her chest where the bullet had struck, but his hand felt no exit wound. He wrapped the dry towel around her and was surprised when she weakly grasped his thumb and opened her eyes. He'd thought she was stillborn. He'd hoped she was…to see her gasping for breath and in pain twisted his heart. He held his daughter up next to his heart so she could feel its beat and looked at his wife, but her eyes were still closed. "I'm sorry, baby. Your name is Jareen." He knew his wife's best friend back in her world had been Jareen. When his daughter's hand slipped from his thumb fresh tears slid down his cheeks. He'd lost two daughters on this hellish day. He handed his tiny baby girl to Mama Nell and used his knife to cut the cord. There was little blood, her heart had stopped beating. He used the wipes to clean his wife up the best he could and then slipped her panties back on.

"Wait! I have a pad." Amber removed the backing, placed it in her panties and nodded when she was finished. He tossed the wet towel to the side and pulled his wife's pants back up. He looked at Laura. "Is she…" he couldn't bring himself to say the words.

"She's breathing," Laura assured him. "But the wound…" she said pointing to the bullet's entry hole. "I can stitch it closed, but I don't – I don't know what kind of damage has been done. She needs a doctor – antibiotics…" she shrugged helplessly. Going back to the hospital wasn't an option. That hospital had been overrun with infected people.

He swallowed hard and nodded. He wanted to hold her and stay with her, but he had to bury his daughters. "Do what you can for her. I need to take care of my daughters so we can get the hell out of here." He looked up and saw Mark coming down the incline with three shovels.

"Don't worry…Billy is watching over the kids," Mark told him. He looked down at Angel and frowned. She didn't look like she was going to make it. No. He couldn't think like that. Too many had already been lost and honestly, he didn't think Joel could take another loss.

Nellie took the tiny baby with her over to where Tommy was holding Sarah and knelt down. "Go help Joel and Mark. I'll stay with the girls," she said quietly. She was struggling to keep a lid on her grief.

Tommy looked at Mama Nell. She needed to know about Papa Will…but right now he feared it would be more than she could take. He nodded. "Okay…" he mumbled numbly and rose to help his brother dig a grave for his girls. He glanced over at Angel and gave a silent prayer that she would pull through.

When the grave was deep enough, a blanket was brought from one of the trucks and Sarah with her sister nestled in her arms was wrapped inside of it. Once they were lowered into the ground the men silently filled in the grave, each lost in their own hell….contemplating how much more they would lose before the world was set to rights.

Joel silently carved their names into the largest rock placed over their graves with his lightsaber. It was his fault they hadn't left when Ams suggested it. He hadn't wanted to uproot his family and leave his business behind on a possibility. Now, they were all paying the price and that was something he had to live with. When he finished, he clipped the lightsaber back onto his belt, knelt down next to his wife and pulled her into his arms. He noticed someone had put gauze over the wound on her belly. There was blood, but it wasn't leaking past the gauze. He rocked her in his arms. "Come back to me, Lorianna…I need you," he murmured next to her ear. "Please…please, baby…I can't do this again. I can't lose you…"

Nellie wiped her eyes and straightened her back. "We're going to take the back roads back to the hospital. I need to find Will. We'll meet you back here."

Tommy leaned his shovel against the grave marker and then reached out to take Mama Nell and Amber's hand. "We can't go back. Papa Will isn't there. I also know why Angel was gone this morning. She felt something concerning Papa Will and had to go out and find him. She found the wrecked ambulance a few miles outside of Austin city limits. I'm sorry, Mama Nell…Ams...There were no survivors." He felt his throat clench and he swallowed hard.

"Mama…"Amber said in little more than a whisper. Not her papa. She felt Mark's arm slip around her, but it didn't help. "Why?" she yelled. "Why did he have to keep working? He knew it was dangerous! I begged him to quit! I begged…" her knees gave out and she sank to the ground.

Nellie lowered herself down and put her arms around her daughter. She wanted to break down and let out all the grief that she'd bottled up, but she couldn't. Her daughter needed her to be strong right now. She was the oldest now…the matriarch and they would be looking to her for guidance. It didn't matter that she was broken inside, she had to be strong. "You're dad died doin' something he loved, Amber. It doesn't –It doesn't make it easier on those he left behind, but he was content with his choice. It was that same kindness and generosity of heart that I fell in love with…the guy who mowed old Gren's yard just to help the miserly, gouty, bastard out."

"It's not fair, mama…" she whispered.

"I know, baby. It never is." Nellie nodded to Mark and rose to her feet. "C'mon…we gotta get out of here. The longer we wait the harder it's going to be to get away."

Tommy grabbed the shovels and hurried up to Mama Nell's truck so he could break the news to Billy before she arrived. Mama Nell was a strong woman, but she didn't need to be driving right now. Billy had just moved Ra and Ryker to Angel's truck when he caught up with him. He put the shovels away and told Billy about Papa Will.

Billy hung his head and raked a hand through his black hair that was graying at the temples. "Goddamn it…Will was one of the best. It's not right." He released a harsh breath. "I'll make sure Nellie doesn't drive. Thank you…for letting me know." Marci…Will…Sarah…and Jareen. Four in their group had already been lost to the hell. How many more would be lost before the world righted itself? He'd only found out about Marci's death this morning. There had been little time to grieve, let alone absorb the fact that he now had to raise Katie on his own. Just as Nellie now had to raise Lindsey on her own. He knew the pain she was going through. He was going through it too.

When Tommy walked away Kate put a hand on her father's arm. She'd overheard what Tommy had told him and it broke her heart about Papa Will. "I'll ride in Angel's truck. That way Mama Nell's truck isn't over crowded." And right now, Mama Nell's family needed to stay together; she was the only logical person to move to the other truck.

Billy's lips thinned, but he nodded. He wanted to hold his daughter close, keep her with him. But they were all in this together and she was right. Someone did need to move to Angel's truck. He was proud of his daughter's mature attitude. He hugged her and kissed her forehead. "Go on, then. Maybe you can keep Geralt occupied," he said with a grin that faded as his daughter walked away. He hoped Angel pulled through. They all owed her their lives. He wasn't sure if any of them would have survived without the training they'd received from her. They could not afford for her light to go out. He wiped his hands on his jeans and slid into the driver's seat of Nellie's SUV.

Nellie frowned when she saw Billy in her seat. "Billy, what the hell are you doin'?" she asked with her hands on her hips.

Billy frowned. "Don't you give me none of that, Nellinda. I'm not one of your children, I'm your friend. Right now, I'm drivin', when I get tired you can take over. That's how this is gonna work, Nellie. We take turns. So sit your ass down so we can leave before the military or more infected show up."

Nellie's lips tightened. He was right; he wasn't one of her children. He was only six years younger than her. She rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand and nodded as she climbed up into the SUV. It was weird seeing a man other than Will in the driver's seat. One of many changes she was going to have to learn to live with.

Joel scooped his wife up into his arms when he heard the engine of Nellie's truck come to life. He turned to look one final time at his daughters' grave marker. He didn't know if he'd ever see it again. "Good bye, baby girls. I hope Papa Will is watching over you…" he said softly and then headed for the truck.

-BREAK FOUR-

He was glad to see Tommy and Laura in the front seat. He did not want to think about driving right now. He carefully maneuvered them into the back seat next to his son. He nodded at Kate on the other side of his son's car seat and closed the door. He leaned Angel against him so that her head rested on his shoulder. He kissed her forehead, a small smile curved on his lips when he remembered the evening before his birthday. It had been raining outside and she'd run out into the moonlight and lifted her face up to greet the gentle drops in nothing more than his t-shirt. She'd beckoned him to come join her and they'd danced in the rain under the shimmery light of the moon.

She had a way of finding romance and beauty in everything. She could always find a silver lining, no matter how well it was hidden to everyone else. And she had a way of making others see the beauty she saw. It was one of the many reasons he loved her so much. He knew how much she loved it when he sang to her and how romantic, sappy words could melt her into a puddle. He brushed a lock of pale honey hair from her cheek.

 _I like the feel of your name on my lips,  
And I like the sound of your sweet gentle kiss,  
The way that your fingers run through my hair,  
And how your scent lingers even when you're not there._

 _I like the way your eyes dance when you laugh,  
And how you enjoy your two hour bath,  
And how you convinced me to dance in the rain,  
With everyone watching like we were insane._

 _But I love the way you love me  
Strong and wild  
Slow and easy  
Heart and soul  
So completely  
I love the way you love me_

He stroked her cheek with his fingertips

 _Oh baby, I love the way you love me…._

His lips brushed over hers. "Wake up, baby…I can't live without your love. It would break me." He cleared his throat when his voice cracked. "You are the heart that beats in my chest…the light that warms my soul. I need you…come back to me, Lorianna…."

Geralt tugged on his father's sleeve. "Mommy's not there, daddy. Mommy's gone."

Joel looked at his baby boy. "No, no…baby boy. You're mommy's here, she's just exhausted," he assured his son.

Geralt shook his head. "No, daddy. Mommy's gone. She's…under…"

He blinked, his lips pulling down in a slight frown. "What do you mean _under_?"

The little boy scrunched up his face in concentration and rubbed his tire eyes. He didn't know exactly, but she wasn't where she'd always been…where she was supposed to be. He couldn't feel her like normal. "She's not there…she's down under…"

He didn't have a clue what his son meant and was relieved when Kate drew the little boy's attention away, taking the conversation in another direction. He closed his eyes and fell into a fitful rest. He blinked when he felt the truck come to a stop and looked out the window. The sun was higher in the sky now. He must have gotten a couple of hours of sleep. He could see what appeared to be a ranch home with barbed wire fencing being put up around the perimeter, men with guns patrolled and a large tent could be seen. "Is this Marci's sister's ranch?" he asked with uncertainty.

"No," Tommy said with a shake of his head. "According to what Billy told me this should be just past the half-way point. They're guarding the road and stopped us. But they have a medical tent…if they've got a doctor, maybe they can take a look at Angel."

"Stay in the truck, Kate!" Tommy said when he saw Billy get yanked out of the truck. He put the pistol in the back of his pants and jumped out of the truck. He frowned at his wife for joining him, but he knew better than to try to stop her.

"Shit," Joel mumbled as he opened the door, climbed out, laid his wife gently on the seat and closed the door. His hand settled on his lightsaber. He wondered how long it would take this hell to bring out the worst in people. Now he had his answer.

Big John smiled at Bubba Ray when four lightsabers were turned on. "Oh, lookee here…them there be some scary toys, Bubba Ray. Should we fall to our knees before 'em?"

Bubba Ray spat a brown glob on the ground next to his boot. "We might could, Big John…or we could just shoot 'em," he said with a shrug.

Joel caught up to his brother and Laura. "I would advise against that," Joel warned coldly as he unclipped his lightsaber and ignited it. He and the others had practiced deflecting rocks and bee-bees propelled from a slingshot, so he was fairly confident in his ability to deflect bullets as long as too many weren't fired at one time.

Big John laughed. "More toys. Maybe we aught to give ourselves up to the jedi," he smirked.

"You're smarter than you look, Big John," Tommy quipped. "And these ain't toys, boys."

Joel spun the weapon in his hands, twirling the blade in warning. "This doesn't need to get ugly."

Bubba Ray leveled his gun on the larger man's chest and spit another blob of brown goo in Joel's direction. "That's where you're wrong, buddy. We have women and children ta take care of and we'll be takin' your supplies."

"We ain't askin'," Big John pointed out in case they hadn't gotten the meaning.

"We ain't givin' up our supplies. We have women and children to take care of too," Joel said as he moved into an alert, defensive position.

While the men were distracted by Joel's more threatening appearance, Billy arched his blade and brought it down over Bubba Ray's gun, slicing it neatly in half just as the men were hurled backwards.

"Enough!" Nellie said, tired of the male posturing. "Bring your leader here. I have a proposition that would benefit us both," she said as the men were pushing themselves to their feet. Bubba Ray bent over, his stomach heaving to bring up the wad of tobacco he's swallowed when he hit the ground. "Shouldn't chew that stuff – it's dangerous to your health." Nellie told him with an arched brow.

Big John looked down at Bubba Ray's shorn gun and blinked. Now he knew fear. The lightsabers weren't toys and one of them had just blown them magically off their feet without touching them. He shook his head. It wasn't possible, jedi weren't real…but it was the only thing that explained what happened. He pointed his gun to the ground. "I'll get The Shepherd." He backed away slowly and then turned to run back to the ranch.

"The Shepherd…" Joel shook his head and looked around the area. There were military supply trucks. It looked as though the military had set up camp here, he could even see a few men, closer to the ranch house, in military garb. Was this a military camp or civilian? It was obvious the two men that accosted them were civilians.

Two men in fatigues returned in a jeep with Big John, one of which appeared to be in his forties and had a cap on his head. The one with the cap had a commanding presence about him, he must be the one they called The Shepherd. Indeed he was, when he exited the jeep and got close enough he could see the name Shepherd on his fatigues.

Gabriel eyed all lightsabers with surprise as he approached the group. So, Big John was telling the truth. Interesting. He looked over the group and his gaze settled on the bearded man. He was the biggest in the group and there was a strength and certainty in the man's eyes, like he knew exactly what he was capable of doing. Had he killed before? Or was he just that certain of his abilities? Experience had taught him that if you took down the biggest and the baddest the rest tended to fall into line. The question is – would he need to do that? "I am Colonel Gabriel Shepherd, why have you threatened my men?" he asked coldly.

"We didn't threaten your men. They blockaded the road, threatened us and demanded our supplies. We refused," Joel growled.

Gabriel's eyes narrowed. That was not how things were explained to him, but he did not doubt the stranger's words. The civilians lacked military training. They were a crude lot. "That is not what they were sent to do. I will reprimand my men later."

"It is _me_ you will talk to," Nellie said to draw the man's attention to her.

He looked over at the woman who appeared to be in her late forties, but remarkably fit. With his legs slightly spread he settled into military rest. "You wanted to parley..."

"I did," she said firmly. "We noticed you have a triage tent. Does that mean you have a doctor?"

"We do," was all he said.

Nellie nodded. "We are in need of his help. If he will help us, my boys will help you set up your perimeter fences and finish buildin' your watchtowers. Amber and I can help with the hunt for food. Then we'll be on our way. Does that sound like an acceptable trade to you?"

He looked over the group again. The men were young and seemed to be in fine shape. But would their help be worth the cost in supplies? If the women were any good at hunting, their contribution might make up for it. Regardless, getting the perimeter fencing and watch towers up was priority one. He would have preferred to ask them to remove their weapons in camp, but with the threat of infected and even the military, no one should be left defenseless. "It is acceptable, ma'am. But before you agree you should be aware that we have gone AWOL. We refused to gun down clean civilians, so the military would see me and my men as traitors. If they find us, they would likely shoot to kill."

She looked at the others, with their nods she agreed to the terms. "We understand the risks." She switched off her lightsaber and clipped it to her belt. The others followed her example.

Gabriel nodded. "I'm afraid there are no more rooms available in the main house for your party. The mother-in-law house is also filled up, but there is a worker's bunk house," he said pointing towards a small house to the right of the main house. "It will likely need some minor clean up and airing out, but it should service your needs well enough. There is room to park your trucks next to it. What are your medical needs so I can alert the sawbones?"

"It would have been nice if the soldiers we ran into had your convictions. My wife has a gunshot wound to the belly. The bullet was….removed when she miscarried, but we can't be sure of the internal damage," Joel said with a tight voice.

"You should get your side looked at too," Billy said motioning to the blood that covered the lower right side of his shirt and pants. "One of the bullets hit you."

Joel looked down in surprise. He'd remembered the burning pain that caused him to drop Sarah, but so much had happened since then that he hadn't even remembered. He pulled up his shirt and saw pink puckered flesh. Damn it. When his wife tried to heal Sarah, she'd healed him too, taking even more out of her. "It's fine. Barely a scratch." He couldn't very well tell Billy that Angel had healed him. Not in front of the others.

Gabriel pulled out his radio and alerted his platoon's sawbones of the incoming injury. "Follow us to triage. The other truck may go on to the bunk house. We'll do a meet and greet at 0700 for breakfast at the main house." He turned to the soldier that had accompanied him. "Sergeant, I want you and Corporal Jenson to take over road patrol. Big John and Bubba Ray will be lending their backs to making Shepherd's Landing secure. Dismissed." He returned to his jeep with a silent John and Bubba and waited for the newcomers to follow.

Tommy followed the jeep until they reached the triage tent and came to a stop. "We'll keep Ger with us. She'll be fine, big brother."

Joel nodded. He had to believe that. He kissed the top of his son's head. "Go help Uncle Tom-Tom and Aunt Laura, baby boy. I'll watch over mommy while she's sleeping." He studied his son for a moment. "Thank you for your help earlier – just try not to throw any more men around unless they get ugly to us."

Geralt nodded. "Yes, daddy."

He winked at his son and gathered his wife against his chest and he stepped out of the truck and used his foot to close the door. He carried her into the tent and blinked when he noticed the _sawbones_ was a woman. Not that he didn't respect female doctors; it was just that all the military movies he'd seen had male doctors. He followed her to the bed she had ready and settled his wife on the portable bed. A nurse sat a folding chair next to the bed and he sat down while the doctor examined his wife.

Rhonda noticed that the woman had recently given birth, her uterus was still enlarged. "I'm Dr. Rhonda Tilmore. I worked triage in an ER before joining the army. Your wife is in good hands. When did she give birth?"

Joel rubbed his hands over his face. "This morning, maybe three thirty."

"Before or after she was shot?" she inquired.

"After – it is what triggered her labor. My daughter died shortly after I delivered her. The bullet…lodged in her chest." Joel said, forcing the words through his emotion restricted throat.

"How far along?"

"Seven months," he said hoarsely.

So without emergency care the baby would not have made it anyway. It was likely the bullet got lodged in the baby's ribs or spine, which was why it did not pass through the baby and cause further damage to the mother. The baby's death saved the mother's life. The anomalies, however, that she was seeing weren't adding up. Someone had stitched the wound closed and it already showed signs of healing. "Did she retain any of the placenta?"

He shook his head. "No, everything came out with my daughter's birth."

When the nurse finished hooking up the portable ultrasound machine, she ran the wand over the woman's gelled abdomen. She frowned; even the wound from the detached placenta had healed more than it should have. She had assumed that she would need to go in to repair the damage to the uterus, but she could not locate anything but what appeared to be a small area of slightly thickened scar tissue.

She was also concerned by her lack of anything but reflexive movements. She had felt her head for lumps but found none. "Did your wife hit her head or was she on any kind of medication?"

He shook his head. "No, she wasn't taking medication and I – I don't think she hit her head."

"Does she have diabetes?"

"No – why?" he asked starting to become more concerned with the direction of the questions.

She looked at the machine monitoring her vital signs. They'd had to turn the volume down because her vitals were lower than what was deemed safe, yet she could find no indication of what was causing the low vitals, nor did the patient appear to be suffering

"I would like to start your wife on an IV to make sure she stays hydrated. Do we have your permission for that?" With his nod she motioned for the nurse to start the line. She pulled up a chair and sat down next to him. "There are several irregularities I need to discuss with you. One or which is that your wife's wounds, both internal and external do not correspond to times that you gave me. They look to be a couple of days into the healing process."

Joel rubbed his neck uncomfortably. "My wife heals fast, she always has. What other irregularities did you see?" He asked hoping to keep her from asking too many questions.

Rhonda frowned. Even if she did heal fast, she could not heal that fast. It simply wasn't possible. "When did your wife fall unconscious? And has she woken at any time since then?"

Joel felt his heart tighten painfully. "She fell unconscious after our older daughter was shot and killed by a soldier, just before the miscarriage. I've haven't been able to wake her up since."

Rhonda nodded now she was beginning to understand at least part of it. "Your wife's vitals are alarmingly low and she responds only on a reflexive level, there is no conscious response. I do not believe she is unconscious. She appears to have fallen into a coma like state. Perhaps, the tragedy was more than she could bear and she just shut down, unable to cope." She shook her head. "I can see no physical reason for her to be in a coma. If she doesn't pull out of it in another day, I would like to insert a nasal feeding tube to keep her as nutritionally fit as possible."

He dropped his head into his hands and rubbed his face. "A coma…." He had thought she was only unconscious. But the doctor was wrong; Angel was too strong of a person to just hide from pain. At least now his son's words made sense. His mommy was not there…she was gone…she was under. That pretty much described a coma. A coma was serious. She might never wake up. He might have already lost her. "Do whatever you need to – just keep her alive." He couldn't lose her too. He loved his family and maybe he was weak, but if he lost her too, he didn't think he'd survive it.

"Of course. I will take whatever measures are needed. You are welcome to pull the bed behind you next to her at night, if you wish to sleep here. Maybe knowing you are close will help her." She rose from the chair. "Some people who have been in comas say they could hear when people talked to them. I'm going to grab something to eat. You should too. You need to keep up your energy."

He watched her leave and then moved the chair so he could pull up the bed. He didn't feel much like eating. But he did feel like he could sleep for days. Once the beds were touching he crawled in, laid on his side and placed his hand over her heart. The beat was extremely slow but steady. "I love you, Lorianna. Come back to me, baby." His eyes drifted closed.

The next day he got a promise from the doctor that if anything changed she'd radio his team. He hated leaving her side, but he had an obligation to The Shepherd. From sun up to sun down the men worked the fence line with only small breaks to eat or go to the bathroom. It wasn't that he needed to keep busy, though he probably did. It was because the fence line was their first line of defense. It was six feet high and the wires were strung too tight and close together for anyone to be able to get through and there was a coiled barbed wire along the top. Granted, a brick fence would have been a hell of a lot better, but you work with what you have.

The dogs kept them company, patrolled the fence line and were rewarded with the leftovers of everyone's meals. It was obvious to everyone that Ryker missed Angel as much as the rest of them did. He spent his evenings with Geralt, until he fell asleep and spent his nights curled up outside the hospital tent since he wasn't allowed in. It was heartbreaking to see, but no one had been able to entice him away from his post.

A week later, there were no signs that his wife had ever been shot. The stitches had been removed a couple of days earlier and only the barest white mark was left behind. Another ultrasound showed that the detached placental site also showed remarkable, progressive healing.

Two weeks later, the scar on her belly had disappeared, her abdomen was back to its flat and fit state, her afterbirth bleeding had stopped and an ultrasound showed there were no signs she'd been pregnant, let alone recently given birth. But her life signs had taken a dip; so much so that they'd had to unhook her from the monitor because the alarms would not stop going off. Her heart, respiratory rate and pulse put her at near clinical death. They'd been forced to stop feeding her, because her body was no longer able to digest food, they were relying solely on the IV to sustain her along with water given through the feeding tube. Blankets were piled on her in an attempt to keep her warm. At night Joel slept with her in the small bed to give her his body heat.

-BREAK FIVE-

As days turned into weeks, Joel's hope dwindled. She was healed but still barely clinging to life. He could feel the cold bite of steal from the pistol nestled between his back and the chair. He took her hand and kissed it.

 _"Take the very breath you gave me_ _  
_ _Take the heart from my chest_ _  
_ _I'll gladly take her place if you'll let me_ _  
_ _Make this my last request_ _  
_ _Take me out of this world_ _  
_ _God, please don't take the girl"_

It was a mantra he'd started singing every day to her. But if there was a god, he wasn't listening. What he did know was he didn't have it in him to go on like this. He'd lost two daughters and his wife was all but a vegetative corpse unable to pull back from the brink of death. Every day he forced himself through the required motions waiting for the news that it was over. He'd thrown up what little he'd tried to eat the last two weeks and it was taking a toll on him. The irony was not lost on him that he was living out the story that he'd made up about his wife's parents. When her mother passed away, her father lost the will to live and followed soon after. He loved his son and brother, but he'd have given anything to be the one to die instead of his girls. A part of him hoped that maybe his death would be enough of a price to be paid to allow his wife to live. He knew that wasn't rational and he really didn't believe in a god, but he was soul deep tired and lacked the will to keep forcing himself to go through the motions of living. Every night he held his pistol. Every night he wrapped his mouth around the barrel, but every night he decided to give it just one more day. One more day for the news he knew was coming. He took the pistol and ran his thumb along the grooves of the barrel.

Rhonda had never seen anything like this. By all rights, the woman should be dead. She'd taken a sample of blood and been stunned by what she'd found out. One, there were almost no red or white blood cells left in her blood and two, she wasn't exactly human. She looked human, but she had a slight chromosomal difference and the cells that she did see were different than normal human cells, not in shape but in the fact that there were anomalies inside the cell, things that writhed and moved as if they were alive. When the cell went into mitosis the new cell created also had the same anomalies. Perhaps, whatever that was - was what was killing her.

She pulled up a chair and sat down next to Joel. She had noticed his drop in weight, the black circles under his eyes, the almost empty or dead look in his eyes and became more and more apparent that he was little more than a dead man walking. He wouldn't let her give him an IV; he'd seemed to have lost the will to live. She'd seen it before with the loss of a spouse, though usually it was with couples who'd been married for decades. She blinked when she noticed the gun in his hand and wondered how many times he'd considered pulling the trigger. "That's the coward's way out," she said quietly. "What would your family think if you took your own life? Don't be selfish, Joel. Your family has already lost enough. They don't need to lose you too."

His gaze rose to meet hers. "I should have been the one to die – not them. Not my girls…my wife. I pray every night that god will take me and let my wife live." He grunted. "I don't even believe in god." He shook his head. "She did not come here to die…" he mumbled.

She placed a hand over his and gently took the gun from him. "That is survivor's guilt, Joel. It is something you will need to work through for your son…your family. They need you."

His looked over at his wife. "I need her. I can't – I can't go on like this. The loss is more than I can bear," he admitted in a whisper.

She handed the gun to the nurse and gripped his limp hand. "I know, Joel. She's not dead yet – don't lose sight of that. I've seen patients come out of comas that lasted for years. What do you think it would do to her if she came out of it and you weren't there?"

He pulled back from the doctor and wiped the tears that burned his eyes. "That is why I keep giving it one more day." He cleared his throat. "I just…" his words trailed off. He was tired. He just wanted to lie down and not wake up. He wanted to join his parents, Papa Will, his children and his wife.

She straightened her shoulders and moved their conversation into a more lucrative direction. "I need to talk to you about your wife. Is there something you want to tell me about her?" She studied him, saw wariness creep into his eyes and knew the Joel was aware that his wife was different.

"What do you mean?" he asked cautiously.

She pursed her lips. "I think you are aware that your wife isn't exactly human, she's…more. There are anomalies in her chromosomes and cells that I've never seen before. And what you're not telling me might be the difference between watching her die and treating her." Again, she studied his reaction.

Joel felt an icy cold sink into him and his first inclination was to kill the doctor to protect his wife. He clenched his hands to keep him from acting out on his instinct. Right now, his wife needed the doctor. They all did. This wasn't like before. They were kept abreast of chatter on military frequencies. The plague was spreading fast and the military was taking over and setting up martial law quarantine zones. Austin was the first in Texas. Houston, along with all other major port cities, that the highest concentration of infected were bombed to try to eradicate the infected. They'd also discovered the pandemic was worldwide. But right now all he cared about was his wife. And the government had more on its mind that hunting down aliens. A ragged breath slipped from his lips. "I am demanding doctor-patient confidentiality."

She blinked. "That goes without saying. The only way I would break that oath is if she was infected and a danger to the rest of us," Rhonda told him honestly.

He raked a hand through his hair and rubbed his face. "She's not infected, but you are right – she is different. But what I'm gonna to tell ya ain't gonna be believable," he warned. "She wasn't born here…in this galaxy, I mean. A mirror…an artifact on a world she was visiting fell on her and she fell through a mirror linked to that one into our world. She doesn't know how these artifacts came to be or how they got dispersed across galaxies. No mention has ever been made of them, even in ancient texts that were archived at her…school. What you are seeing in her cells are probably the midichlorians."

Rhonda sat up straight and held her hand out, palm facing him. She'd seen the movies; she knew what midichlorians were supposed to be. "Wait…are you telling me she's a jedi? That the force really exists?" He was right, the story was unbelievable – or at least it would have been if she hadn't seen the anomalies. She'd also heard the stories Big John and Bubba Ray were telling everyone; stories of lightsabers and being thrown by an invisible wave of power. She had thought they might have been high…or drunk…but now….

"Yes," he said tightly. "That's what I'm sayin'. She's a jedi master. But they don't call it _the force_ where she comes from. That was just cinematic liberty. She told me it was simply energy. All living things produce energy and that excess energy can be used if your midichlorian count was high enough."

"…But how could George Lucas…."

"Best we figure is that she's not the only one that has come over. Or maybe it was someone from another dimension, similar to hers but not exactly the same." He shrugged. "No way to know for sure."

She rubbed her forehead. "Sorry, I digressed. I had thought the anomaly might be what was hurting her, now I'm guessing it is what's keeping her alive. She's lost blood and her body has been slow to produce more. I can only assume because it has been focused on healing her, which would explain why she healed so quickly. Maybe that healing used the cells in her body and that is why she has so few." She cleared her throat. This was all surreal and she was in uncharted waters. "Mind you – this is all conjecture on my part. Because she is not human…or at least not what we know as human, there is no way I can know for sure what is going on without further study. But from what I do see I can extrapolate that she needs blood – blood with the same midichlorian properties so that her body doesn't have to work so hard to produce more blood cells on inadequate nutrition. I think that is also why she hasn't woken up. She does not have the cell count she needs to maintain normal body functions."

There was a lot of sense behind the doctor's guesses and he was glad he'd been honest with her. "I also think she spent too much energy healing me and trying to heal our daughter, Sarah. I had Tommy stop her." He shook his head. "She told me once that while she'd had training in self healing, healing someone else would take a lot out of her and if their wounds were bad it would likely kill her. Sarah and I had both been shot; mine was little more than a flesh wound. I found out later she had healed it. But Sarah…" he swallowed hard. "Our daughter was gut shot – there was too much damage. I didn't know my wife had been shot until – after…" but he couldn't say the words. "By that time she was already unconscious. Blood…." His wife needed blood and only their son had those midichlorian things. "Our son is like his mother, but he's only three and a half."

Her brows drew together. She didn't like taking blood from toddlers, but she could safely take a little. "How much does he weigh?"

He rubbed his beard. "About forty pounds, I reckon."

She nodded. "If he is willing, we cake take ten to fifteen cc of blood ever other day. It's not a lot, but at this point, every little bit will help her recover faster." She pursed her lips, rose from the chair and retrieved his pistol. "Joel? I'm glad you didn't go through with it," she said quietly as she handed the gun back to him.

A ragged breath slipped from his lips as he looked at the gun nestled in the palm of his hand. "Me too," he said tightly and shoved the pistol between his back lower back and the band of his pants. "For the first time since I found out about her coma I have an understanding and hope I didn't have before. My son told me his mommy wasn't there, that she was _under_. I didn't know what he meant then. I do now. She's in a deep, meditative sleep to conserve energy while she heals herself." He brushed his lips against hers and rose from his seat. "I'll go get my son. He'll want to help his mama."

When he left she returned to the curtained off lab area and took another look at the blood slides under the microscope. Still nothing. She'd taken a sample of the patient's blood and exposed it to a sample of infected blood they'd had stored to see if any fungal growth occurred. So far nothing and it had been five days. The longest anyone else's blood had lasted was two days before fungal growth. If Lorianna Miller was immune to the infection then there was a chance her blood could be used to create a vaccine. The concern was the fact that she wasn't exactly human – at least by their standards. However, she was able to successfully breed and bear children with a human so there was a chance the gene compatibility would be enough to render a viable vaccine after more studies were done.

She could not use the child in these studies because she would be extracting the maximum amount of blood that she could safely take to give to his mother. She would simply have to wait until the patient's blood was back to a normal cellular level. In the mean time, she would keep evaluating the blood slide to make sure the patient didn't take longer to become infected.

-BREAK SIX-

Three weeks later, Lorianna shot up from the bed and stumbled onto the floor on shaky legs. She ripped the IV out of her arm, pulled out the tube that had been inserted down her nose and removed the catheter that was taped to her leg that led to a bag, low on the pole of a machine that she didn't appear to be hooked up to in any other way. She shot a small wave of power towards a woman that was approaching her at a run. When the woman stopped and held up her hands in a surrender motion, Lorianna looked around trying to get her bearings. The last thing she remembered was …her hand flew to her belly, flat not round, and her legs buckled. Her baby…Sarah…Papa Will…the memories flooded back and she inhaled sharply with the pain that threatened to overwhelm her.

She rose to her feet on trembling legs but kept her hand held out, palm up, towards the woman. It was obvious she was in some kind of hospital tent. She didn't know how she got here or what happened to her family. She remembered hearing the voices of her family and could have sworn she'd felt the presence of her husband over and over again, but maybe it had been no more than an internalized wish fabricating into a pseudo reality in her mind.

"You're okay, Mrs. Miller," Rhonda assured her. "You're safe here. No one is going to hurt you."

"Where's my family? My husband?" The words were hoarse and scratchy. Her free hand rose to her throat. Talking had been uncomfortable to the point of painful.

"He's on his way back. I radioed his unit as soon as you woke up. Will you let me offer you a candy? It will help moisten your mouth." Rhonda motioned to a bowl on her desk.

Lorianna nodded, but did not take her eye off the doctor. Why had her husband brought her here and risked them finding out what she was? "What are you going to do with me? What did you do to me?" she asked when pain shot down her throat again. She took a piece of candy from the offered bowl, looked at it skeptically, then unwrapped it, put the wrapper in the pocket of her hospital gown and popped it in her mouth. The welcome peppermint flavor burst across her tongue and her mouth watered.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Miller. The feeding tube can cause some irritation…."

She shook her head. "I didn't need a feeding tube."

Rhonda shrugged helplessly. "I didn't know that at first. I had no way of knowing that. I'm Dr. Rhonda Tilmore and you've been under my care for the last five weeks during your coma – er…meditative sleep."

Lorianna's mouth dropped open and slammed shut. "Five weeks..." she murmured. It didn't feel like five weeks, it felt like she just woke up from a dream. Her eyes narrowed as realization dawned on her. Meditative sleep. "Then you know…" her eyes darted around the tent looking for the fastest escape route.

"Wait!" Rhonda put the bowl down and held up her hands. "I can understand why you'd fear people finding out, but things are different now. That world no longer exists. The situation has gotten worse while you were sleeping. The government has more on its mind than taking you away to a private lab or apprehending us. You're in no danger from us," she tried to assure her.

She sensed something more – something the doctor wasn't telling her, but she did not sense deceit. "Then what are you hiding from me?" she asked skeptically.

Rhonda blinked; a frown pulled at her lips. Telling the woman that she'd experimented with her blood was not exactly the best way to win her trust, but it was apparent that not saying anything was causing just as much damage. "I'm not trying to _hide_ anything from you, Mrs. Miller. Right now, I'm trying to protect you. Everyone here knows who – what you are. That is no longer a secret. It's what I found out about your blood that I am keeping to myself."

"What do you mean? What did you find?" She closed her eyes when a wave of dizziness washed over her.

Rhonda took a step forward when she saw her patient waver. "Please, Mrs. Miller, you need to sit down. Your body has been through a traumatic ordeal and you have not fully recovered."

She locked her knees and squared her shoulders. "You can call me Lorianna or Angel. What did you find?" she repeated. She heard a vehicle pull up outside the tent and relaxed with her knees slightly bent ready to defend herself if necessary. A soft breath escaped when she felt her husband's presence. She launched herself, with a burst of power, over the bed and was nearly to the tent's flaps when he walked in. Her legs gave out when she landed.

He caught his wife before she hit the ground, his heart slamming in his chest. He'd wanted to believe the doctor that she was awake but a small part of him had held back, needing to see it to believe it. He pulled her off her trembling legs and held her tight against him. His throat constricted and he swallowed hard as emotion overwhelmed him. Unnoticed tears trailed down his cheeks. She'd come back to him.

She pulled back far enough to kiss him until she was breathless before moving her lips to his ear. "You made love to me," she whispered softly.

He felt his cheeks grow warm. He had that night his hope had been reborn, he'd made love to her while they were spooning. "I was hoping you would feel our connection, that you would feel closer to me." Her lack of response had bothered him a great deal and he couldn't bring himself to do it again. But in that moment he'd felt close to her.

She wrapped her legs around his waist. "It worked. I felt you with me. You were my dream lover – a phantom of pleasure in the dark, endless void. Whispers would filter down to me, but they weren't always coherent. I waited…I hoped… but you never came back."

He exhaled a slow breath. "You weren't able to give consent and I reckon that didn't sit right with me. Your body gave no response to my touch. I didn't know." His lips grazed hers. "I didn't know," he repeated softly.

Her lips caught his, hungry for his touch after all the time alone in the dark.

Rhonda fiddled with some papers on the desk a small grin on her lips. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but the position they were in said a lot. She cleared her throat. "You do realize this is a very public med-tent? Anyone can walk in…at any time. Not to mention you are flashing me, Angel."

"Oh, sweet hell…" Her cheeks grew hot with embarrassment and she lowered her legs to the ground. She spun around, placing her back up against her husband. "Sorry, doctor. What were you going to tell me – about my blood?"

Her lips thinned. She'd hoped the whole matter would have been forgotten. "I don't think we should talk about it here. As I said, this is a very public location." She tucked her slightly graying hair behind her ear. "Can I talk you into staying another day or two? So we can monitor your vitals?"

Lorianna blinked. "I just jerked every tube out of my body and you want to hook me up to a machine? No," she said with a firm shake of her head. "I'm fine." When she saw the doctor's mouth open she held up a hand. "I don't know what after coma care entails, but I was never in a coma. I was in a deep, meditative sleep to focus on healing. There is nothing wrong with me. My body is as it was five weeks ago; it has not known the passage of time." Her hand rose to her abdomen. "Mostly," she said quietly, still coming to terms with the loss of her baby's life energy and the loss of Sarah and Papa Will. For everyone else over a month had passed, for her it was as if it just happened. "I was disoriented and flooded too much to process the moment I came up. That is the only reason I showed weakness. I would like to get dressed before anyone arrives. Where is my armor and lightsabers?"

Rhonda sighed. In the past, she would have refused to release her patient until she'd done more testing. But she didn't have the equipment she needed to do the testing she wanted to do and times had changed. "It was stored in a box under your bed," she said pointing under the bed. "But we will need to talk somewhere more private."

Lorianna was surprised to see her clothing had been mended and cleaned. If felt good to step into clean clothing. She felt more like herself. "Geralt…" she whispered, feeling the connection with her son.

"Our son's doing fine," he assured her. "Darcy has been keeping him occupied and the both of them have been helping Laura out with cleaning. Linds and Kate have been helping the other older children with hunting small game." He cleared his throat. Sarah had a soft spot for animals, he didn't think she would be capable of hunting them and would have preferred to look after the babies and help with the more mundane chores. He looked back over at the doctor. "Come with us to the bunkhouse. We can talk there," Joel told her as his wife was getting dressed.

He had chosen to take responsibility for most of her physical needs. After a long day of working on securing Shepherd's Landing, he spent a couple of hours with his son and then spent the rest of the evening with his wife. He'd washed her with a rag and water, brushed her teeth and hair, gave her water through the tube down her nose and even changed her pads and urine bag when needed. He had to feel like he was doing something to help her. All the while he talked to her or sang to her, sometimes until his throat ached.

The whole family had stopped by to spend time with her, usually one at a time due to their duties. He was grateful for their support and love, even though they weren't doing it for him. She'd earned a place in everyone's heart all on her own. "Can you handle the walk? Or do you need me to carry you?" he asked his wife quietly when she joined them once more.

Lorianna grinned and shook her head. "While I might enjoy any excuse to be in your arms," she said with a wink, "I'm fine. My body has not aged, there is no muscle degeneration." She felt her son getting close. Her smiled broadened and hurried towards the tent's entrance to scoop up her baby boy as he darted ahead of the others. She tossed him in the air and caught him, smothering his giggling face with kisses.

His tiny arms encircled her neck. "I knew you were up, mommy! I felt you!" he said when he could catch his breath, his ice-blue eyes sparkling with excitement.

It felt so good to hold him again. "And I felt you, baby!" She couldn't save her daughters, but she would damned well do whatever it took to make sure her son survived. When he released the tight hold on her neck she put him down to hug Mama Nell and little Darcy. She noticed Laura was standing back a bit looking at her with uncertainty. She walked over to her and pulled her into her arms. "It's okay, honey. I'm glad one of our babies is still safe." A tear slipped down her cheek and she wiped it away quickly. She felt the loss of her baby keenly, but she wasn't jealous or bitter of Laura. She was grateful her best friend didn't have to go through the loss she, herself, was going through.

Laura swallowed hard, relieved there were no hard feelings. "I wasn't sure if seeing me would be too difficult…"

"Oh, hush. You are my sister and my best friend. I want the best for you." She pulled back and took her husband's hand. "Where is everyone else?"

"The men folk and Ams are out working on the watch towers. The girls are with the older kids and the dogs feeding the chickens and collecting eggs," Mama Nell informed her. "They have chickens, cows, horses and pigs here! They have fields too. Though talk is that they ain't gonna plant corn come spring, because it can conceal too much. They are stickin' to smaller plants and root vegetables. Makes sense, but corn's a major staple for the animals," she said with a shrug. "They have a nice thing going here. They are even planning for what they're gonna do when there is no electricity or gas. The Shepherd's got a right straight head on his shoulders. He told us he grew up here before he joined the military as his civic duty."

One corner of her lips pulled up a little. "Do you plan on staying here and making a life, Mama Nell?" Lorianna inquired gently.

Nellie's lips pursed and her brows drew together. "It's not what I pictured for my life. I never had a desire to live in the country, but I've enjoyed learning new things." She shook her head. "I feel safer here than out there and we've been invited to stay on, but I wouldn't stay here at the cost of losing my family. If y'all leave, then so will I."

Lorianna looked at the ground and nodded. She felt her time here would be brief. She needed to move on soon – this is not where she was needed most, but what right did she have to take her family away from the relative safety they have found here? On the other hand, could she just take off the jedi mantle and ignore the push of the calling? And was she being pulled away from here because something bad was going to happen here or because she was needed elsewhere? It wasn't always easy to interpret a feeling.

Nellie frowned and put a hand on Angel's arm. "You're gonna leave…" she murmured quietly.

She forced a smile. "We'll talk about it later, Mama Nell. Right now, Doctor Tilmore…"

"Rhonda is fine. Only The Shepherd still calls any of us by our last names or titles and only because he's used to doing it, but we're not that formal here," she interjected.

She nodded to the doctor. "Rhonda was just coming with us to the bunk house to talk for awhile."

Nellie eyed the doctor and nodded. "Then let's go talk," she said, motioning for everyone to follow.

From what she could see there was a large three story manner house, a smaller two story house to the left, a one story ranch house to the right and a large barn further back. It was the ranch house they appeared to be heading towards. As they approached she realized it was far larger than she'd thought. Inside, there were three sofas ringing a large TV, a large kitchen, two dining tables with eight chairs each, what appeared to be four bedrooms and two bathrooms, one labeled 'ladies', the other labeled 'gents'. "His and her bathrooms?"

Nellie grinned. "This used to be a bunkhouse for the hired help during planting and harvesting seasons," she explained. "The hired help that stays here year around live in the mother-in-law house. As Gabriel's family started showing up they moved into the main house. There were a few stragglers before us and they moved in with the others. That leaves us this place to ourselves for now, until more show up."

"More people than us can fit in here?" Lorianna asked in surprise.

She nodded. "There are three sets of bunks in each room, so yes, if the need arises. Right now, Billy, the kids and I are sharing one room and the other three rooms go to you kids so you can have some privacy. Enjoy it while you got it, 'cause it's gonna become…awkward if more people show up."

When Darcy and Geralt ran back to their room to play the adults settled on the sofas. "What did you find out about my blood, Rhonda?" Lorianna asked curiously. It had to be something big for her to want to talk about it privately.

Rhonda ran her hands down her thighs. "A few weeks back I ran a sample of your blood against the blood of an infected that we had in storage. Unlike any sample I've run thus far, yours is the only blood that did not grow fungus. Samples generally show fungal signs within a day or two. It's been over three weeks. In fact, after about a week and a half there were no signs of the infected cells in the blood sample; your white blood cells eradicated them. You are not human enough, by our standards here, to become infected, even though your blood sample had a low white blood cell count – yet you are human enough to reproduce with a human." Her eyes lit up. "Do you know what this might mean? In theory, it means that your blood could possibly create a vaccine against the infection. I would need to do a lot more testing, of course, find volunteers….if, that is, you were willing…."

Lorianna gripped her husband's hand tighter and her eyes narrowed on the doctor. She could sense there was more the doctor wasn't saying. "And what effect did my blood have on yours?"

Joel stiffened. He was stunned that his wife might be immune. But it hadn't even crossed his mind that the doctor would have tested his wife's blood on herself. He hadn't given her permission for any of that, yet she'd done it anyway. Had it been a mistake to bring his wife here?

Rhonda blinked. How had she known? She cleared her throat. "There was a cellular war at first. My white blood cells attacked yours at first, as I would expect them to do, but the single white blood cell of yours that was in the sample seemed to reprogram my own. Each time it touched one of my white blood cells that cell no longer saw yours as a threat. Once all my white blood cells were reprogrammed, our red blood cells then coexisted peacefully and began to reproduce." She released a slow breath. "I can't say what long term effects would be. It could be that your cells would eventually die out in a foreign body, or…"

"Or the people exposed might become like me." Lorianna shook her head. "What is happening now is horrible, but so is what happened where I came from. People have good and evil inside them and even good people can become twisted with power. You saw the Star Wars movies, right? And Doom? There is no jedi council here, no one to train and help steer people towards a positive end. Even if there was, sometimes even the good can fall – and that is far more likely in desperate times. Look, I know you want to help stem this pandemic and so do I, but sometimes the cure is just as bad if not worse than the disease. Using my blood would be like handing a loaded blaster or lightsaber to a child and humanity would pay the price. Not only would they have infected to fight, but people twisted on power too. I fear humanity is dangerous enough without fueling them with my blood."

She pursed her lips. Yes, she'd seen those movies and others and that worried her too. "I get that and that is why I wanted to talk privately. If my findings got out…" her words trailed off. "Desperation makes people do things they would not normally do. And I have no desire to risk make super humans that could cause a new kind of destruction. Believe me; I've thought a lot about that. But it is only the antibodies that your lymphocytes, or white blood cells, produce that are needed to make a vaccine."

"But…" she prompted the doctor when she saw her frown.

Rhonda raked a hand through her hair. "But…I obviously don't have a big enough lab to mass produce any vaccine or distribute it. Getting a sample of the vaccine to a lab or even to the military would prove difficult right now, since they seem to be on a shoot first ask questions too late vendetta. And even if someone was able to sneak it into a quarantine zone, we would have to make sure whoever delivered the vaccine knew nothing about where we are located. So, yes…there are obstacles to consider."

There was little they could do about mass producing a vaccine at this point. But maybe her family…"Would you be able to produce enough to cover everyone here? Maybe a few extra to freeze until they can get to a lab facility?"

The doctor rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "If you were willing to stay long enough, your white blood cell count is too low right now."

She eyed the doctor carefully. She felt no deceit, but there was a lack of trust since she'd learned the woman had exposed herself to her blood. "If I do this – I will be there every step of the way. I need to ensure my blood is destroyed – that nothing but the antibodies survive."

She could hear the steal in the jedi's voice and knew she would not be able to talk her into keeping a few samples for study. Disappointing, but understandable. "I will agree to your terms. In another week, come see me – well, I mean, I would hope to see you sooner than that – but in a week, I will draw some blood and begin the work of extracting the antibodies." She rose from the sofa. "I will let you spend some time with your family right now – drop by the tent when you can."

After the doctor left she looked at Laura, Mama Nell and Joel, torn by indecision. Now that she knew her blood could transform theirs, she wanted to offer it to everyone in her family. If the cells didn't die out, if they grew in number then they would be like her, their chances of survival would increase. But they didn't grow up around a plethora of masters there to help them through moments of crisis and build up their moral convictions. Could she, alone, give all of them the support they would need? She had very little darkness in her and she'd nearly killed Nurse Needle – she would have if her husband hadn't stopped her. Everyone had some dark in them, though she couldn't see any of them getting twisted by it. Still…the possibility could not be ignored. And if she did nothing and they died because they didn't have the power they needed to survive…would that be any easier? The guilt would be the same either way. She rubbed her forehead. With what was happening right now, they were far more likely to die than become a tyrannical monster she would be forced to kill. A shaky breath slipped from her lips. "When everyone is back this evening…we need to talk." Maybe it would amount to nothing, the cells could very well die off in a foreign host, maybe they would need frequent exposure to her blood to maintain the midichlorians, maybe they would never be strong enough to use the energy around them. There were so many maybes and so few answers. She feared the line between right and wrong was going to blur a lot if this pandemic did not end soon. What would that mean for the survivors?

She rose from the sofa and held her hand out to her husband. "For now – show me to our room."

A grin spread on his lips. "Gladly, Mrs. Miller."


End file.
